The Collegiate Recovery Program at College of Charleston has recently been awarded the first-ever grant to a four-year institution from the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS). This two-year grant will help the Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) further its mission to help students in recovery from substance use and and/or addictive disorders stay substance-free through peer-to-peer support, group support and through connection to the local recovering community.

Wood Marchant, director of the Collegiate Recovery Program.

Goals for funding over the two-year period include hiring academic support specialists for students, conducting peer recovery-support trainings, having more opportunities for students to travel to conferences and events with other recovering students from around the country and to explore dedicated sober living options on campus.

CRP Director Wood Marchant ’89 is excited about the potential of the grant’s impact saying, “Our plans for the DAODAS grant look to strengthen the program we have built over the last three years. The support we continue to have on- and off-campus leads us to help students live more freely and more fully and we look forward to sharing with other colleges and universities around the state what has been working for our recovering students.”

RELATED: Read more about the goals of the Collegiate Recovery Program.

Launched in 2016, the CRP provides a safe and nurturing student-focused community in which students in recovery can be empowered in furthering their academic, professional and personal potential to become healthy, responsible, productive members of society.

Comments from representatives of DAODAS recognize the work already done at College of Charleston and for the CRP’s future: “In 2018 South Carolina state Legislature directed proviso funds specifically for developing, enhancing, and expanding collegiate recovery communities. Lawmakers recognize that collegiate recovery constitutes a cornerstone for student wellness, academic success and community solidarity. These recovery services are a fundamental component of South Carolina’s commitment to our students seeking higher education. Recognizing institutions, like the College of Charleston, who have created environments, programs and cultures that promote health, wellness and recovery-oriented collegiate experiences is a way of furthering that commitment.”