JMATE 2012: Recovery Schools

Across the country, substance abusing teens are dropping out of high school at alarming rates. But a recovery high school in downtown Boston is targeting youth in recovery with great success. At a JMATE 2012 panel on recovery schools, a staff member from Ostiguy Recovery School spoke about the differences between a recovery school and a regular school. At Ostiguy Recovery School:

• Students receive recovery support and counseling in addition to math and science
• Students lead their own sobriety groups which empowers them to take control of their lives
• Students WANT to be there (this is not a mandated rehab program)
• Students outreach at area schools to let troubled students know there is another option 

It will be interesting to see if other communities open their own recovery schools... 

Liz Wu is a Digital Accounts Manager at Prichard Communications, where she oversees digital outreach for Reclaiming Futures and edits Reclaiming Futures Every Day. Before joining the Prichard team, Liz established the West Coast communications presence for the New America Foundation, where she managed all media relations, event planning and social media outreach for their 6 domestic policy programs. Liz received a B.A. in both Peace and Conflict Studies and German from the University of California at Berkeley. She tweets from @LizSF.