College students in recovery urge clearer peer navigation and campus supports

Two students from College of the Redwoods told the Humboldt County Behavioral Health Board’s SUD/Dual Recovery Committee on April 9 that students transitioning from residential substance use disorder treatment face financial strain, isolation and difficulty accessing campus supports. Jefe Denning, a student and student senator, said many newly sober students do not fit the typical new-student identity and can struggle to find peers who share their experience.

“Networking is more accessible once a student can see that others have lived through similar experiences and were also finding and sharing success,” Denning said, urging the board to make peer connections more visible to brand-new students through websites that show student stories and direct links to peers or navigators.

Reina Negrete, also a CR student, described a person-centered approach that gives decisions and agency back to people with substance use disorder, and emphasized that repeated outreach efforts from diverse community touchpoints often add up to a moment when individuals are ready to pursue recovery. She said support can come from food bank workers, treatment counselors, police officers and others who consistently reach out.

Both presenters recommended steps to reduce barriers: highlight peer-led resources on college websites, provide clear contact paths to navigators or peer support groups, and train campus and community staff to recognize and refer students who may be in early recovery. The committee heard these presentations as part of regular program presentations; no formal policy action was taken at the meeting.

Committee members said they would invite student partners to future planning conversations about ATP and TAY collaboration on youth services.