Rare UWindsor student, staff addiction recovery program wants 'safe space' on campus

Mack Park wants to see the Lancers Recover Program for alcohol and substance abuse at the University of Windsor expand.

Park, who's the program's coordinator, says securing a drop in "safe space" where students can hang out throughout the week is a top priority.

"Even if it's just to sit and do homework," they said.

"They want to hang out and have a conversation with somebody knowing that there's a space that they can go where the conversation isn't going to revolve around going out the night before feeling left out of social spaces and circles because they're not participating in those activities."

The program started three and a half years ago and is a student-led peer recovery group for alcohol and substance abuse trying to bridge academic life with sober life.

There aren't many like it, as it's the first student recovery program in Ontario and the second in Canada. It's also available to university staff.

LISTEN | Lancer Recovery Program discussed on Windsor Morning:

Park, who was already in recovery before they joined the program, says they were "really excited" to find out the student peer support group existed.

They say it allowed them to enhance their recovery.

"I had been a student ten years beforehand and really struggled. There was no support at the time. When I came back to school, it was something that really allowed me to focus both on my academics while also focusing on my recovery and being able to integrate both and combine those sort of two unique identities."

According to Park, one of the biggest benefits of the Lancer Recovery Program is accountability showing up every week to meetings having people who could relate to what they were going through.

The program is the brainchild of faculty member Onawa LaBelle, who moved from the U.S., where she had been part of a similar program.

The professor of psychology has been in recovery for roughly 18 years now.

"I knew it was something I wanted to do. And so just before Covid hit, I applied for a grant through the university and started our journey," said LaBelle.

She says one of her greatest joys in life is her connection to the program and that it warms her heart knowing she helped create spaces on campus for peer to peer support and sober events.

"It was such an important turning point for me. I spent all of undergrad in schools that didn't have them. I had professors holding office hours in bars. I had conferences that I went to to present research, and there's just alcohol flowing freely. Any event on campus was certainly there was alcohol."

WATCH | UWindsor offers rare recovery program for students battling addiction [2020]:

University of Windsor offers rare recovery program for students battling addiction

5 years ago

Duration 4:15

Starting this fall, University of Windsor students looking for support dealing with alcohol and substance abuse will be able to receive help at a student-led peer recovery group.

The program recently received a $10,000 donation from the 100 Women Who Care Windsor-Essex.

And LaBelle says they're still considering how to best make use of the money, with an eye on not just recovery services for students but also prevention and education efforts.

"The stats are that one in four students on university campuses meet the criteria for a substance use disorder, alcohol or substance use disorder at some point during their four-year study rate. And so maybe that one in four isn't going to be your child, but it certainly could be one of your child's friends," she said.