FTCC marked the opening of its Collegiate Recovery Center on Aug. 30, 2023, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. [Photo by Brad Losh]
Fayetteville Technical Community College unveiled its Collegiate Recovery Program Center on Wednesday, opening a supportive space for students, faculty and staff who are in recovery.
The center, which is located in room 630 of the Horace Sisk Building, is the FTCC location for a grant-funded CRP collaboration between the College and partner Methodist University.
Ilana Sheppard is FTCC’s peer support specialist overseeing the center.
“Seeing the Collegiate Recovery Center open today is kind of like a dream come true not just for FTCC and myself, but for Methodist and the community as well,” Sheppard said. “It has been a long time coming to be able to perform these services for students, faculty and staff and within the community, and really focus on those individuals in recovery.”
CRP offers a variety of resources to support substance abuse recovery, including 12-step programs, recovery coaching, harm reduction education and systems like SMART Recovery, Celebrate Recovery and wellness/recovery action planning (WRAP).
FTCC marked the opening of its Collegiate Recovery Center on Aug. 30, 2023. [Photo by Brad Losh]
Sheppard noted that recovery resources extend beyond the traditional focus of drug- and alcohol-abuse recovery to mental wellness.
“Recovery is not just for substances, but for mental health as well,” Sheppard said. “We provide a safe space for those individuals to come to and enjoy without the outside stress.”
Sheppard said the center programs promote a calm, relaxing environment that support recovery, including drug- and alcohol-free social events and inclusive programming.
This center features a comfortable lounge area for students in recovery to socialize and engage in fun activities, as well as private group rooms for recovery support services and support groups.
The partnership with Methodist ensures that CRP visitors can participate in programs at either campus, allowing for more opportunities for individuals in recovery to engage in recovery friendly activities.
To learn more about the Collegiate Recovery Program and the multi-campus initiative, visit FTCC’s CRP webpage.
FTCC peer support specialist Ilana Sheppard (left) and Methodist’s Gregory Berry speak at the opening of FTCC Collegiate Recovery Center on Aug. 30, 2023. [Photo by Brad Losh]
