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Recovery Academy reports record enrollment, $500,000 annual state support and BBC documentary feature
Summary
Recovery Academy coordinator Justin Sooy said the program, which opened in 2022, reached a high of 31 students, receives $500,000 per year from House Bill 601 plus behavioral-health clinical funding, and will hold a May 16 completion ceremony for graduates.
Justin Sooy, program coordinator for the Chesterfield Recovery Academy, told the school board that the specialized recovery high school opened in September 2022 and is completing its third school year with record enrollment.
“So we have been running ever since; we are about to complete our third school year and we are excited,” Sooy said as he overviewed program funding, staffing and student supports. He told the board that House Bill 601 provides $500,000 per fiscal year to cover transportation, personnel and other program costs, and that the Department of Behavioral Health funds clinical staff and services such as drug screening and training.
Sooy reported current enrollment at 31 students — the highest since the program opened — with 13 students from Chesterfield and others from nearby jurisdictions. He outlined staff roles (senior clinician, clinicians, recovery specialists, academic facilitators and instructional assistants) and said the program partners with community providers and the Community Services Board for clinical supervision.
Sooy also highlighted recent milestones: a state meeting for recovery schools that brought representatives from other localities and state agencies, participation by Recovery Academy students in a BBC documentary on the fentanyl crisis, and a plan for a May 16 completion ceremony that will recognize seniors and program completers (staff projected five seniors expected to graduate this year). The program is pursuing accreditation with the Association of Recovery Schools and expects an on-site visit this fall.
Board members praised the program’s destigmatizing work, noted its regional reach and thanked staff for the update. Sooy invited board questions and confirmed the program is actively hiring to meet growth in clinical and instructional roles.
