Oregon Department of Education Approves First State-Funded Recovery High Schools in the Nation!
In response to the growing need for comprehensive support for adolescents struggling with substance use and mental health challenges, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is proud to announce the approval of the first three Oregon Recovery High Schools. These specialized high schools offer a lifeline to students in grades 9-12 recovering from substance use, ensuring they receive not only a quality education but also comprehensive support necessary for their recovery journey.
House Bill 2767 (2023) authorized ODE to open nine recovery high schools across Oregon over the next five years. This monumental legislation emphasizes the importance of addressing both substance use and mental health issues simultaneously, while providing a high school experience that leads to an Oregon diploma. Oregon is the first state to approve publicly funded recovery schools that will be accessible to students throughout the state. The legislature committed to adequately fund the recovery schools with a mix of State School Funds with supplemental funding from the Statewide Education Initiatives Account to cover the actual costs of educating students. This is in contrast to other states where most recovery school options are tuition-based, operate as programs, require student referrals, are not geographically accessible, or don't have the state support to sustain the schools to ensure generations of students can be served.
We are proud to announce the first three Oregon Recovery High Schools
- Harmony Academy, a public charter school within Lake Oswego School District. Harmony Academy opened its doors in 2019 as the first recovery high school in Oregon. Now the school is accredited through the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS).
- Rivercrest Academy, operated by Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) and located in the Portland metropolitan area. Rivercrest is starting its second year as a recovery high school and transitioning from a program of MESD.
- Discovery Academy, will be operated by the Willamette Education Service District (WESD). Discovery Academy will be open to serve students in the mid-Willamette Valley by Spring of 2025.
What is the purpose of an Oregon Recovery High School?
Oregon's recovery high schools will focus on delivering a high-quality education that leads to an Oregon high school diploma while supporting students in recovery from substance use and co-occurring behavioral health challenges by providing daily mental health support in a safe, supportive environment to maintain abstinence and stay in recovery. Unlike therapeutic placements where students are required to attend, these schools support student agency in their recovery by allowing students to choose to attend a recovery high school. Each recovery high school will:
- Create a Safe and Supportive Environment: Recovery high schools will provide a safe and supportive environment where students can focus on their recovery from substance use and pursue an Oregon high school diploma.
- Ensure Academic Continuity: Recovery high schools will ensure that students continue on an educational path that leads to graduation, while receiving the necessary support, differentiated instruction and resources needed to address their substance use and co-occurring behavioral health care needs.
- Provide Comprehensive Substance Use and Behavioral Health Related Services: Recovery high schools will provide a comprehensive approach to recovery support, integrating substance use education, mental and behavioral health supports, and coping skills development into academic and SEL coursework.
- Establish and Maintain Peer Supports and Forge a Sustainable Sense of Community: Recovery high schools will provide a sense of community and belonging for students who are in recovery. These communities are small by design and incorporate peer support to enhance bonds between students and enable staff to provide social emotional learning opportunities and support recovery practices for students to live in recovery with their peers.
- Empower Long-Term Recovery: By addressing substance use and co-occurring behavioral health challenges early in adolescence, recovery high schools help students develop the skills, resources, and support networks they need to maintain long-term recovery and lead healthy, fulfilling lives beyond high school.
Please join ODE in celebrating the first three Oregon Recovery High Schools! We are excited and honored to be doing this life-saving work in partnership with the Oregon Recovery High Schools.
Our next round of applications for recovery high schools will open in early 2025 to authorize up to three additional recovery high schools to open in the 2025-26 school year.
To learn more:
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