Mapping the Need for Washington’s Only Public Recovery High School

This is the first of a series of three short reports that share how recovery high schools are an evidence-based approach to supporting high school graduation and abstinence from alcohol and drugs. The primary goal of Interagency Recovery Campus is to provide a safe and sober environment where young people in recovery pursue their academic and career goals. Staff members typically include substance use counselors, teachers, and mental health professionals. i – source

In this brief, we make the case for recovery schools generally and Seattle Public School’s Recovery Campus specifically. The Interagency Recovery Campus is the only public school of its kind in Washington. Together these short reports share data and stories showing the value of sober learning spaces tailored for young people in recovery from substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. 

Why We Need Recovery Schools

Both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, young people’s behavioral health has become a pressing concern. During the past two years, students’ experiences of instability, isolation and fear have been documented in multiple studies. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association have declared a national emergency in children’s mental health, citing the serious toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on top of existing challenges.

According to the U.S. Surgeon General one in five children reported having a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder. ii – source

Mental health and substance use are connected:

• Mental health issues can influence a person’s use of drugs and alcohol.
• Substance use can impact the development of mental illness.
• Risk and protective factors for both conditions can contribute to one another.
• Research suggests that adolescents with substance use disorders also have high rates of co-occurring mental illness. iii – source

Low high school graduation rates for youth impacted by co-occuring disorders underscore the need for recovery schools.

Only one in four Washington youth with substance use concerns graduated from high school within six years. For youth with co-occurring mental health and substance use needs, that number dropped to 17%. iv – source

Without a high school diploma, individuals are more likely to have poor health and economic outcomes. They are also more commonly involved in the juvenile legal system. v – source

Innovative post-treatment transitions like those offered at the Recovery School are critical to supporting student success.

Washington’s Only Sober Public High School

Seattle Public School’s Interagency Recovery Campus provides a singular and important service in King County. Hosted through the Interagency Academy network of specialized campuses across the city of Seattle, the Recovery Campus is the only one of its kind in Washington. The school offers programs and supports to address the Four Dimensions of Recovery: Health, Home, Purpose and Community. vi – source The Recovery Campus provides instructional programs for ninth through twelfth graders and daily sober support groups. It also partners with BRIDGES: Seattle Alternative Peer Group to offer fun and sober activities after school. 

History

The program was founded as a partnership between the King County Behavioral Health and Recovery Division of the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS-BHRD) and Seattle Public Schools in 2014. Concerned about low high school graduation rates in Washington, DCHS-BHRD staff visited recovery high schools in Minnesota and Texas and then provided $250,000 in startup funds to launch the program. 

Connections

The Recovery Campus attracts students from a number of referral sources, including peers, counselors, treatment programs and families. Interagency Academy’s Orientation Team promotes access to the program by informing all Interagency students, consulting across campuses and the district, and supporting out-of-district students in the enrollment process. To ensure that the Recovery Campus is the right place, prospective students visit and participate in an afternoon recovery group co-led by staff and students. These daily meetings build shared accountability among students who support each other in their progress through key milestones of sobriety. 

4 Dimensions of Recovery

• Community – having relationships and social networks that offer support, friendship, love, and hope
• Health – overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) or symptoms, and making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being
• Home – having a stable and safe place to live
• Purpose – conducting meaningful daily activities, such as working, school volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income, and resources to participate in society

Students

The majority of the Recovery Campus students have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Students commit to a program of sobriety during their attendance. Residential treatment for substance use and a sustained period of sobriety is recommended prior to enrollment. However, prospective students who have not completed treatment, and who are interested in starting their recovery journey, are welcome to meet with staff to develop a plan for enrollment. This flexibility promotes equitable entry points to the Campus. Student placements are facilitated by Interagency Academy’s Orientation Team with final approval granted by school administration. Recovery Campus staff can refer students to residential treatment if needed. More than one-quarter (26%) of students completed residential substance use treatment while attending the Recovery Campus.

Afterschool Activities

Abstaining from drugs and alcohol is just the beginning. Engagement in prosocial activities and a supportive peer community outside of school are important to successful post-treatment recovery. Bridges offers afterschool drop-in and field trip activities, student and parent support groups, and arts programs. As young leaders, Recovery Campus students develop a sense of self-efficacy and confidence as they create positive change beyond the walls of the school: 

“The Recovery High School placed tools in front of me that I would not have found on my own, allowing barriers to be broken and help to be accepted.”

Recovery School student

Funding

Like other similar schools, the Recovery School supplements the Seattle Public Schools budget with multiple grants and funding sources to support students’ needs.

It is a common model for recovery schools to be funded through partnerships. At Interagency Recovery Campus, Seattle Public Schools pays for the academic components, and King County DCHS-BHRD pays for the behavioral health portion.

Please see the next two briefs in the series to read about the program’s outcomes, student characteristics, and the impact of the program as described through the words of students, parents, and alumni. You will learn that Recovery Campus students are more likely than other similar young people to complete high school and build a recovery lifestyle of health, home, community, and purpose.

References

i Association of Recovery Schools Website (no date).

ii Murthy, V. (2022). The Mental Health of Minority and Marginalized Young People: An Opportunity for Action. Public Health Reports, 137(4), 613-616.

American Academy of Pediatrics (2021). AAP, AACAP, CHA declare national emergency in children’s mental health.

iii National Institute on Drug Abuse (2021, April). Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report: Part 1: The Connection Between Substance Use Disorders and Mental Illness.

iv Kohlenberg, E., Lucenko, B., Mancuso, D., et al. (2013). Behavioral Health Needs and School Success: Youth with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Problems are at Risk for Poor High School Performance. Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

v Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (no date) Healthy People 2020, Social Determinants of Health: High School Graduation.

vi Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2022) Recovery and recovery support.

Suggested Citation: Loeb, H., San Nicolas, O., Wyatt, J. G. & Raya-Carlton, P. (2023). Seattle Public Schools’ Interagency Recovery Campus Brief Series: Mapping the Need for Washington’s Only Public Recovery High School. Renton, WA: Puget Sound Education Service District Strategy, Evaluation and Learning Department and Seattle, WA: King County Department of Community and Human Services, Behavioral Health and Recovery Division.