The University of Windsor has a new resource for students in recovery from alcohol and substance use. The Lancers Recover program offers students a weekly online support meeting, peer-led social activities, resources and stigma-free encouragement to help members maintain abstinence during their time at school.
Psychology professor Onawa LaBelle professor, who has been sober for 15 years, created the group this past summer – as it became increasingly clear that the pandemic was taking a heavy toll on student mental health. Ultimately, the goal is to help members maintain abstinence while they work towards academic and personal goals while also offering an alternative way to feel connected to the campus community.
Lancers Recover is one of the few collegiate recovery programs in Canada (a PhD student launched a similar community through the Graduate Student Society at the University of British Columbia in 2019) and currently the only Canadian institution affiliated with the Association of Recovery in Higher Education.