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so critical," Desprez said. "They want to be
connected, they want to have fun and they
want to feel connected to the Michigan com-
munity."
Desprez said the CRP is about social justice,
which makes the University a perfect place for
the program to flourish.
"If we have students on this campus that
don't think it's a safe place to be, that's a social
justice issue," she said.
"It is important for students who aren't in
recovery to have some awareness that they
are in class with students who are in recovery,
so that when they think about having a party,
that there are things to do other than drinking
games."
Afterremodelingthe Health Promotion and
Community Relations section on the fourth
floor of the University Health Service build-
ing this summer, the program manifested into
something tangible and possible.
Now a space exists "so that people ... could
just come and hang out and get out of the rat
race of hearing all the talk (about alcohol),"
Desprez said.
"It's the same theory behind why fraterni-
ties have frat houses - so that like-minded
people go to the same place," Cervi added.
"Eventually, what we would someday hope
to have ... a space on campus, and this is the
beginnings of it."
Cervi's role in spearheading the program
required extensive-research, including calling
the 15 universities that have existing programs
and selecting components that the University
might use for its own program.
Cervi also meets with students who are in
early recovery, once per week, to see what they
need in order to survive in the college atmo-
sphere.
"Some come with already established
recovery habits, but they are really generous
and are willing to mentor students that are in
recovery," Cervi said. "When you have a grad-
uate student who is five years sober and when
you have an 18 year old that is one year sober,
and to see proof that they can do it - that is.
awesome."
"The services have to be more individual-
ized. There is no cookie cutter approach to
making sure we are serving students to what
they need," Cervi added.
Cervi succeeded in making sure University
Housing was on board with special accom-
modations for students in recovery, includ-
ing special housing for those who are trying
to remain sober. In the University's housing
application, there is now a separate housing
option for students in recovery. This fall, four
students took advantage of that option and live
in a place that provides recovery resources.
The challenges of recovery
Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are held in
the Michigan Union every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
These meetings have been a helpful resource
for students in the program, giving students
chips to signify milestones in sobriety and
helping them through the 12-step program.
According to Cervi, the CRP has even succeed-
ed in negotiating with the University to accept
recovering students with criminal records.
Desprez has hopes of obtaining a bigger
space, more financial support, a separate pro-
gram coordinator and possibly scholarships
for recovering students in the future. She also
thinks that the program coordinator should
be in recovery as well. However, because of
her position in the Alcohol and Other Drug
Prevention program and her dedication to the
creation of the CRP, she became the program's
head.
"Sometimes a recovering student needs to
look across the table at a recovering addict and
think 'You get me,"' Desprez said.
Desprez said the program also needs to
learn to address the ever-present possibility
of relapse.
"One of the facts of recovery is that there
can be relapse, and it's just part of it," Desprez
said. "You don't just go, 'Oh well, sorry.' You less taboo to talk about recovery and addic-
have to figure out: Where does active treat- tion.
ment end and recovery support begin? We are "We aren't talking about AA here. We are
still figuring that out." talking about human capital. I agree with this
Relapse is something that Desprez and idea of reducing the stigma," Crook said. "It's
Cervi think can be curbed by a program like something that is perceived as a weakness, but
the CRP, due to the sense of community on a it's not. It's a disease."
college campus. Crook said he sympathizes for students
"The nature of the disease is that relapse who are just entering school and are new at
can happen anywhere. It's about creating a recovery.
community of support." "There's a lot of pressure in the U of M envi-
However, according to Cervi, students are ronment to drink, and young people who are
as vulnerable as anyone else dealing with a just beginning to think for themselves are not
history of addiction. prepared to go against the grain here."
Rory Crook is approaching his ninth year of The program, he said, has helped him give
sobriety. According to Crook, being in recov- back to those who need community support as
ery is "thoroughly embedded" in his identity. they recover from addiction. Crook believes
Crook attended the University for two years that through his participation in the CRP, he
as an undergraduate and returned this year can help other students stay sober. And he
as a graduate student in the School of Public feels the CRP community is paramount to his
Health. recovery.
Crook said his experience at the University "I wouldn't leave my community to go to
hasn't been that of the average student, espe- school somewhere else," Crook said. "That's
cially in the undergraduate college environ- just how important recovery is."
ment. Amber Smith, a fourth-year graduate stu-
"I could have never went to college not dent pursuing her Ph.D. in biochemistry and
sober," Crook said. CRP member, has been sober for 10 months.
"I've never had an issue with drinking here. "What was really important to my recov-
The only thing that makes it difficult in meet- ery was finding people who were in the same
ing or socializing with people is that I don't situation as I am," Smith said. "On my own, I
go to parties that often, which is fine, but it wasn't able to find people who were like me,
means I don't have the average experience so being a part of this program allowed me to
that a student has here," Crook said. "Usually meet students that were in recovery too."
that means I have to work harder." Smith learned about the CRP through her
Crook said he finds it difficult to connect weekly AA meetings and found the University
with people when graduate students normally to be more than helpful with accommodating
meet in places like bars. her situation, especially after a struggle with
"I really don't-know how to function well in addiction that included hospitalization and a
an environment where the only place students DUI.
tend to socialize is in a bar," Crook said. "What "Michigan is amazing when it comes to
kind of doors does that close? I am hoping this things like this," Smith said. "They were so
organization will raise the profile of people helpful and understanding about the whole
who also want tobe social on another level." situation, and it just made it so much easier.
Crook said the CRP saves students from I was so happy that the start of my recovery
being persecuted for having a substance abuse happened here."
problem. With the CRP, he hopes that it'll be Smith added that now can't imagine a life
without sobriety.
"It's powerful to think that I have such a
See RECOVERY, Page 8B
A young woman, newly- sober The program sarted when Mary Jo in reer nd coninm it a culture sur- accommodating students - especially
and in recovery, is ready for Desprez, an administrator for the Univer- rounded by parties," she added. through housing options and campus edu-
her new beginning as a gradu- sity's Alcohol Policy and Community Ini- With money granted by the University cation that stresses recovering addicts area
ate student in the University's tiatives Program for more than 20 years, of Michigan Health System, support from minority that need to be accounted for.
School of Social Work. After attended an alcohol and other drugs con- other Michigan programs like Counsel- Before visiting Texas Tech University in
she signed up for a student organization vention at the beginning of last year. A ing and Psychological Services and private Lubbock, Texas to witness its program at
and got her first e-mail from the school, she female student who was a recovering addict donations, Desprez and Social Work gradu- work, Desprez did not work with students
read the subject line. Her heart dropped. It approached her about starting a support ate student Jennifer Cervi have been trying in recovery as much as she would have
was an invitation to a pub crawl, which she system for recovering students. After mak- to grow a program already in place at 15 liked to.
obviously couldn't attend. She automatical- ing that connection, the Collegiate Recov- other universities. "There was not a lot of guidance about
ly felt alienated from her classmates, with- ery Program was born. So far, there are 21 registered students how to do that," she said. "We were always
out even having met them. This woman, "Staying sober on a college campus with the University's Collegiate Recovery connecting with local AA meetings, but we
who wishes to remain anonymous, is a would be really hard, especially since most Program, and most are undergraduates. always knew that it wasn't quite enough."
recovering alcoholic. people are pretty new in sobriety, so if you This semester, the CRP has coordinated According to Desprez, the University's
The University's new Collegiate Recovery think about it, it would be really different sober tailgating, social events and mixers CRP caters specifically to recovering Uni-
Program is helping students who have to than somebody that has 10 years (of sobri- that don't involve alcohol. versity students.
cope with a less talked about struggle when ety) and going toa new job," Desprez said. The program is not only about relation- "To be able to have that peer support and
entering the college environment: addiction. "Most people in college are pretty new ship building and awareness, but also about their perception of institutional support is
ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily
FROM LEFT: University graduate students Jennifer Cervi, Sarah Gutowski, Rory Crook and Amber Smith.