AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
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AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
Health & Wellness

Recovery Resources

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We understand the unique challenges that students in recovery face in the college environment. Tufts is committed to helping students in recovery through a network of supports and resources throughout campus and in the local community. We strive to create a nurturing and supportive environment where students in recovery are empowered to achieve, personal, academic, and professional goal

Many students entering college experience a degree of excitement, anxiety, and uncertainty. For students recovering from substance abuse, however, there is an added concern regarding how to sustain their recovery on a college campus. Read the Director of Health Promotion and Prevention Ian Wong's interview with The Tufts Daily on campus efforts to support students in substance abuse recovery.

Resources at Tufts

  • Office of Health Promotion & Prevention staff are able to connect students in recovery with both on and off campus resources, other students in recovery and support programs.
  • Counseling and Mental Health Services (confidential resource) are a diverse team of clinicians deeply committed to college mental health. We offer a range of free and confidential services to all undergraduates and to graduate students who have paid the Health and Wellness fee.
  • Health Service is your primary health care site and offer walk in hours and appointments, depending on your health care needs and busy schedule. Office visits are covered through the Health and Wellness fee, and we have a lab on site as well as a pharmacy that delivers daily.
  • Dean of Students Office (AS&E)  and Fletcher's Office of Student Affairs are central resource sand can help you out when you’re not sure where to start. We support an inclusive and safe community for all students and promote leadership development in partnership with many other campus offices.
  • University Chaplaincy (confidential resource) is a dynamic hub supporting religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural life for all members of the Tufts community. Tufts has approximately 18 undergraduate religious and philosophical communities, many of which take a principled perspective on the use of alcohol and other drugs and seek to provide healthy alternatives for making friends and being social. These groups are also places to nurture your spirituality, which is an important aspect of recovery for many people. In addition, our staff chaplains and residents provide pastoral care, which is a form of confidential counseling that can provide connections to relevant recovery resources, both religious and nonreligious.

Resources Off Campus

The greater Boston area has a wide array of offerings for students in recovery. Home to numerous colleges and universities, Boston is a young and vibrant city. If you are new to the area, contact us for help connecting with local resources.

  • Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings (options throughout Massachusetts)  is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership.
  • Al Anon and Alateen Meetings If you are bothered by someone's drinking, Al-Anon and Alateen may be able to help. We are a fellowship of men, women, and children who share our experience, strength and hope in order to solve our common problems. Alateen is part of Al-Anon and is for young people affected by another's drinking. Al-Anon's program of recovery is based on the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The primary purpose of Al-Anon/Alateen is to help families and friends of alcoholics.
  • Narcotics Anonymous (NA) welcomes anyone who is trying to overcome any type of drug or alcohol dependence. Membership is free and meetings follow the 12-step approach similar to AA.
  • AdCare Hospital (617-227-2622) offers nationally recognized inpatient and outpatient treatment for individuals and families affected by alcohol and drug diseases. Adcare Boston offers outpatient services including: Comprehensive Assessment, Intensive Outpatient – Day and Evening, Individual, Group and Family Counseling, and Early Recovery Group.
  • Massachusetts HelpLine offers free, confidential information and referrals for alcohol and drug problems. Personalized phone services in any language are available from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Call 800-327-5050.
  • Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR)'s mission is to organize recovering individuals, families, and friends into a collective voice to educate the public about the value of recovery from alcohol and other addictions.
  • SAFE Campuses works to increase recovery success for students struggling with addiction. We use the real world experiences of students in recovery to educate the public about addiction and recovery and to erase the social stigma. We support educators, parents and community members in helping students in recovery thrive in the fullness of everyday life.
  • Treatment Centers Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator, an on-line source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the United States or U.S. Territories for substance abuse/addiction and/or mental health problems.
  • Association of Recovery in Higher Education is the only association exclusively representing collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) and collegiate recovery communities (CRCs), the faculty and staff who support them, and the students who represent them. ARHE provides the education, resources, and community connection needed to help change the trajectory of recovering student’s lives. 
  • The Fix Launched in March 2011, The Fix has fast carved out a remarkable niche on the Internet as the leading addiction and recovery source of news, personal guidance, and utterly practical resources.
  • The New England Collegiate Recovery Collaborative is a group of higher education professionals supporting each other to advance recovery on our campuses. We first began meeting in the summer of 2016, and since then have continued to meet several times during the academic year.  We rotate our meeting location among our member campuses. The purpose of our meetings is to share best practices, challenges, ideas and to support one another in this important work that we are doing.  We also connect through an email group, so that we can share ideas, events and resources in real time.  We welcome any higher educational professional from the New England area to join our email list or to attend our meetings.  

Social Opportunities

  • Phoenix Multi Sport Located in Boston, Phoenix Multisport fosters a supportive, physically active community for individuals who are recovering from alcohol and substance abuse and those who choose to live a sober life. Through pursuits such as climbing, hiking, running, strength training, yoga, road/mountain biking, socials and other activities, we seek to help our members develop and maintain the emotional strength they need to stay sober.
  • Alcohol free programs and events for Tufts students on the weekends.
  • Boston Bulldogs Running Club The Boston Bulldogs Running Club are a co-ed 501(c)3 non-profit running club established to provide an anonymous and safe community of support for all those adversely affected by addiction - those in recovery, their families and friends, the clinical community and the community at large.
  • Recovery Corps The Mayor's Office of Recovery Services is building a volunteer/networking initiative called Recovery Corps and would like you to consider getting involved, and to help spread the word to anyone who may be interested. Whether you are a person in early or long-term recovery, or a college student looking for volunteer opportunities, Recovery Corps is for you; everyone is welcome to join.

 

Support for Families

  • Al-Anon Meetings The primary purpose of Al-Anon/Alateen is to help families and friends of alcoholics. Alateen is part of Al-Anon and is for young people affected by another's drinking. 
  • Learn to Cope Learn to Cope is a non-profit support network that offers education, resources, peer support and hope for parents and family members coping with a loved one addicted to opiates or other drugs.

Meetings

  • Tufts Student Recovery Meeting Olin 213 6:30pm to 7:30pm every Thursday

For more information contact:

  • recovery@tufts.edu
  • Laura Michelson, Alcohol and Drug Specialist, laura.michelson@tufts.edu

Additional Resources