Alberta’s government is spending $3 million over three years to expand addiction recovery supports at post-secondary institutions across the province, doubling its previous commitment to the Recovery on Campus Alberta initiative.The program, launched in 2022 and led by the University of Calgary, now operates at all 26 publicly funded post-secondary institutions in Alberta. The funding aims to embed recovery-focused services into campus life, reducing stigma and improving access to supports for students, staff and faculty pursuing a substance-free life.Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson said the Alberta Recovery Model is designed to ensure recovery supports are available at every stage of life, including during post-secondary education. He said students should be able to focus on their studies while accessing the help they need.Advanced Education Minister Myles McDougall said students cannot succeed academically if they are struggling in isolation. He said the initiative makes recovery supports visible, accessible and integrated into campus communities.Recovery on Campus Alberta provides individual and group support, peer-centred programming and education, while also offering scholarships and research opportunities. .The initiative promotes recovery-friendly spaces and events, supports people at different stages of recovery and works to address systemic barriers faced by those seeking help. It also raises awareness of the needs of family members and friends supporting someone in recovery.Victoria Burns, founder and director of Recovery on Campus and an associate professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, said the newly launched three-year action plan will strengthen recovery supports through direct services, education and training, research and long-term sustainability. The initiative also formally launched the Recovering in Place Lab, a central hub focused on advancing recovery-oriented approaches in post-secondary settings.The campus initiative is part of the broader Alberta Recovery Model, which includes expanded bed-based addiction treatment, virtual addiction medicine services through the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program and the Virtual Rapid Access Addiction Medicine program, and the construction of 11 recovery communities across the province. Four of those facilities are currently open.Through the $3 million in provincial spending, Recovery on Campus Alberta has already issued $75,000 seed grants to Mount Royal University, University of Alberta and Red Deer Polytechnic, with additional funding available to other institutions.To date, the initiative has delivered more than 480 workshops, seminars and outreach events, reaching over 8,100 participants across Alberta as the province continues its push to expand recovery-oriented mental health and addiction care.
