Recovery Program

The mission of 2.0 High is to assist students with a history of substance misuse to learn how to live substance-free and cope with the rigors of life without getting high.  This a free program that supports the educational needs of these teenagers.  It is often scary and overwhelming for a teen to start a treatment program or begin their journey of recovery.  However, learning to live substance-free is only the beginning of building a foundation for a lifetime of recovery.  One of the biggest challenges teens face is when they return to school (from treatment, jail, or being out of school).  If they make it back, many students report feeling isolated, misunderstood, judged and lost when they return to the classroom.  Studies have shown that young people who make a start at being healthy and drug-free but then return to the same people, places and things that got them into trouble, dramatically reduce their chances for a successful recovery.

2.0 High offers students an opportunity to grow (academically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually) by integrating the principles of recovery into their education.  It is not a treatment facility, but a program designed to support students when they are at school.  The program, and the culture of 2.0 High, will create an environment where students in recovery can truly flourish.  The recovery program is a structured, cohesive, supportive environment that will allow these students to thrive educationally, socially, and in their recovery.

 We have a mission to serve youth desiring a life of recovery that might not otherwise have access to support outside of school.  We define recovery as a student’s willingness to continually move in the direction of health and wellness as is best for their particular condition, and are striving to reach their full potential.  Furthermore, living in recovery is about getting to the root of the problem, and learning to deal with life in positive, productive ways within a close community of accountability.  This will be accomplished by providing positive peer and adult relationships, consistency, meaningful daily activities, creative endeavors, family involvement and, above all, providing understanding of recovery-oriented schooling.

 Daily Recovery Meeting.  This is one of the most unique aspects of 2.0 High.  Every morning from 8:45 – 9:30am, students engage in dialogue with their peers to share struggles, encourage each other and learn to build diverse, positive relationships.  This provides students time to discuss what is going on for them socially, emotionally, and educationally.  Students lead many of these meetings and share their experience with specific challenges to provide hope and solution for their peers struggling in similar ways.  This method is strongly backed by medical and academic research on the most effective ways to arrest substance misuse.  This will also be a time that staff can be apprised of potential issues before they lead to relapse, high-risk behaviors and/or educational trouble. This is designed to be a peer-led activity, because peer-to-peer support is the cornerstone for addressing teenage substance misuse—although it will require staff to model and support peers as they learn to engage productively in intentional community.  Staff are also be available to attend to higher needs throughout the day or run special groups or special activities (for example, new-to-recovery groups, family issues, etc).  Sometime, outside experts or 2.0 High staff will lead a lesson or activity for the whole group (for example, sharing their story, conflict management or emotional regulation, etc).  The morning class is staffed by the Co-Director: Recovery and the Recovery Coaches.  

 Additional strategies:

  • Trauma-informed culture and education pedagogy

  • A truly drug-free campus, created by strong student accountability systems and a culture of transparency

  • Facilitation of peer-to-peer support systems: this is the heart of youth recovery and is the foundation of everything we do

  • Welcoming culture that demonstrates immediate acceptance and support from the school community

  • Collaboration with outside recovery organizations and therapists: our students are complex and require a multi-directional and comprehensive approach that demands assistance from outside organizations

  • Assistance to parents and referral to parent support groups

  • Year-round enrollment to allow for same-day, promt enrollment

  • Later start time at 8:45am (even though this still feels too early for many teens)

  • Credit-recovery strategies

  • Existence of specialized support staff

  • Triage and referral system for new families who need access to specialized inpatient or outpatient treatment, or recovery services (both paid and free)

  • Facilitation of sober living for students, if needed

  • On-site access to opioid-reversal drugs such as Naloxone

 Relapse Policy.  Relapse is part of the recovery process for many people. It can and will occur, even when students are engaged in a recovery program.  It is often—but not always—part of the process.  One of the great benefits of being in a recovery community is that peers and staff are much more likely to recognize when students are at increased risk for relapse.  This is because there are behavior changes that precede the relapse—behavior changes that recovery staff and peers will be accustomed to noticing that will signal an increased risk.  In recovery communities it is often one’s peers and the support from others that enables them to realize changes their own behavior, and make corrections before a relapse occurs.  This is precisely how recovery communities work.  There are very high standards for accountability, and a strong peer network is crucial for support.  By engaging in constant dialogue about recovery, and holding each other accountable, the community is able to establish strong, vibrant recovery together. 

 However, despite this support, relapse can occur. Any recovery plans implemented after a relapse will be individualized, and based on information from all available sources—both from within 2.0 High and from outside supports. Students will be expected to successfully follow the recovery plan, and will be heavily supported in the process.