Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for YES! Magazine, Jen Soong explains how some colleges are beginning to provide counseling, support and recovery programs for students suffering from addiction.

· Are these collegiate recovery programs effective? How can philanthropy address the root of this issue? 

· If you know a teen suffering from addiction or substance abuse, here are some ways to start a conversation.

During her senior year at Rutgers University, Jessica (name changed for privacy) spent a lot more time drinking than going to class. Once a promising student, she now saw her grades dropping. The only time she left her apartment was to hit a bar or stock up at the liquor store. She knew things in her life were deteriorating, but she didn’t seek help.

“I was in such denial. I didn’t realize I had a problem,” she explains. “I thought, ‘Hey, I’m in college, this is what every college kid is supposed to be doing, like skipping class and partying.’”

Roughly 20 percent of college students meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports. And the number using illicit drugs has risen from 34 percent in 2006 to 43 percent in 2016, the highest it has been in three decades.

Some colleges are tackling this problem head on with collegiate recovery programs and communities. Typically, these programs provide students in recovery with addiction counseling, support groups, and substance-free social activities. More established programs like Rutgers, Texas Tech, and Augsburg University offer dedicated meeting space and residence halls committed to sober living.

Read the full article about recovery and education by Jen Soong at YES! Magazine.