Collegiate Recovery at Brown University

As the oldest Collegiate Recovery Program in the United States, Brown University has set the standard for how higher education can support students in recovery. Through its Donovan Program for Recovery and Substance-Free Initiatives, Brown provides a holistic model that addresses academic, social, and residential needs, ensuring students in recovery not only remain supported but also thrive on campus.

Key components of Brown’s program include:

Recovery-Protective Programming which offers seminars on recovery and relapse prevention, mutual aid meetings, case management, tailored academic advising, and team-building activities designed to strengthen both recovery and academic success.

Faculty and Staff Support that extends recovery resources beyond students to include faculty and staff members, fostering a truly recovery-inclusive campus.

Inclusive Programming with dedicated support for 2SLGBTQIA+ students, students from racialized communities, those managing process addictions, and students not pursuing abstinence-based recovery.

Weekly Recovery Meetings that include two consistent gatherings, one for early recovery and one abstinence-based, providing ongoing peer connection and encouragement.

Trainings, Panels, and Social Events organized in collaboration with campus partners to normalize recovery, reduce stigma, and create community awareness.

Substance-Free Thematic Community with a 17-bed residence hall option that provides a supportive living environment for students committed to a substance-free lifestyle.

Substance-Free Activity Group (SoBear) that offers weekly social programming for students who choose to remain substance-free.

Brown University’s Donovan Program exemplifies a comprehensive support system that integrates academic, social, and residential components, ensuring students in recovery and those pursuing a substance-free lifestyle are empowered to succeed.

For more information about Brown University’s Donovan Program for Recovery and Substance-Free Initiatives, please visit Recovery and Substance-Free Initiatives | The College | Brown University.