New Grant to Improve Health, Counseling Support

OMAHA - The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) has reaffirmed its commitment to providing assistance to students in need thanks to a $10,000 grant awarded to assist students recovering from substance use disorders or other addictive behaviors.

In a partnership between the UNO Counseling Center and UNO Health Services, the grant was awarded to through the nonprofit group Transforming Youth Recovery.

“These grant dollars will help UNO engage students in activities that help prevent relapse and provide a safe space in a potentially high-risk environment,” explained Mark Frillman, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor at UNO’s Counseling Center. “The grant will also connect UNO students in recovery with other recovering students in a nationwide network of collegiate communities to share information and provide support.”

Today, students who are currently in the recovery process or seeking recovery assistance can access outpatient counseling through the UNO Counseling Center, or attend open Alcoholic Anonymous meetings that are held on campus and include members of the Omaha community. In certain cases, students can receive referrals to community organizations or medical facilities for higher levels of care.

With the grant, Frillman wants to provide students with a dedicated space for students in recovery.

“On college campuses, students in recovery are invisible and it takes a lot of trust to disclose your status to another person,” Frillman said. “Having a welcoming, dedicated space allows students exploring recovery a safe environment to access information and connect with people.”

With this grant, UNO will able to increase the current level of support through:

- Early-stage funding to build the relationships necessary to better meet the needs of students in recovery on campus.

- An online map of community recovery assets in order to facilitate a nationwide network of resource sharing and collaboration among collegiate recovery practitioners, students and community members.

- Establishing a sustainable collegiate recovery program on campus that will provide a safe, supportive and fun environment for students who are recovering from substance abuse disorders or similar additions.

“We are excited to join the national collegiate momentum working to serve the needs of this hidden population,” UNO Health Services Director Marcia Adler said. “This is an opportunity to intentionally support students in an environment that is, at times, hostile to individuals working to prevent relapse.”

Both Frillman and Adler said that the best way for those interested in assisting the cause of addition recovery support is to join the group as advocates or as a referral source, helping guide students in need of its services to join the group.

Long term, Frillman and Adler would like the recovery community to become a recruitment and retention strategy for campus, including housing and scholarship opportunities to help build enrollment and academic success in the recovery community.

Visit http://www.transformingyouthrecovery.org/ for more information about Transforming Youth Recovery.

To find out more information about the effort or to get involved, contact Mark Frillman at 402.554.2409 or mfrillman@unomaha.edu.

For media inquiries, please contact Charley Reed, UNO media relations coordinator, at 402.554.2129 or unonews@unomaha.edu.

About Transforming Youth Recovery
Transforming Youth Recovery looks specifically at the community, educational and peer networks that influence youth development and achievement, and is both studying and conceiving novel approaches that have the potential to dramatically expand family and school-based prevention, intervention and recovery support services—one community, one school, one student at a time.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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