Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1491911
10 UCW FEBRUARY 8 - 14, 2023 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Methodist University received a $514,093 grant that supports college students through recovery programs. As primary grantee, MU is one of nine colleges and universities in the state that recently received a total of $3.2 million in collegiate recovery funding from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. MU will use the funding across two years to develop the collegiate recovery programs at both Methodist University and at Fayetteville Techni- cal Community College, employing two full-time North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialists and four stu- dent ambassadors starting in Spring 2023. "With this grant, we are preparing to create diverse, positive and inclusive collegiate recovery programs by pro- viding education on substance abuse, addiction and recovery while provid- ing safe spaces and social activities that are alcohol- and drug-free for stu- dents, faculty and staff," said Cynthia Lally, director of Campus Recreation and Wellness at MU, who will direct the program. MU's new collegiate recovery pro- gram will be called "Roaring4Recov- ery," a familiar name for the Monarchs community. In 2020, Mitzi Averette, assistant professor of Nursing, collab- orated with undergraduate students to create Cumberland County's first collegiate recovery gathering called "Roaring4Recovery." e all-volunteer group hosted many gatherings and special events on MU's campus but remained open to the greater Fayetteville area — welcoming stu- dents from MU, FTCC and Fayetteville State University. In 2021, it became an official student organization at MU. Averette will play a key role in the new "Roaring4Recovery" program. Under her guidance, Averette will en- sure a smooth collaboration between MU, FTCC and important community partners. "Being in long-term recovery myself while working in higher education for more than 20 years, bringing colle- giate recovery to Cumberland County became my passion and mission. is grant accomplishes that goal," Averette said. e partnership between MU and FTCC continues a strong relationship between the two institutions, which already developed a transfer agree- ment in 2021. Methodist University will administer the grant while hiring, supervising and providing training for the collegiate recovery program's new staff. However, both institutions will ensure the following outcomes under "Roaring4Recovery": •Deliver weekly alcohol/drug-free social activities on both campuses throughout the year •Train for institutional leadership on the importance of and methods for supporting students in recovery •Creating alcohol/drug-free places on campus for students to live, study and socialize •Evaluate the impact of collegiate recovery support on students' aca- demic performance e program is expected to be available to more than 20,000 MU and FTCC students across Fayetteville — representative of 6% of Cumberland County's total residents, a population with higher-than-state-average rates of mental health distress, alcohol driv- ing death and drug overdose deaths. Methodist University's new Director of Counseling Services, Mark Gron- ski, will help provide mental health and counseling support for the new program. "is program supports MU's mis- sion of helping improve our students' overall well-being by focusing on our support of students in their journey of recovery from substance use," Gronski said. NEWS Methodist University faculty, staff and students collaborated to create Narcan kits, one of the many events hosted by the MU Roaring4Recovery group. (Photo courtesy of Methodist University) MU launches collegiate recovery program a STAFF REPORT JAN. 26 - FEB. 19 BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW! CFRT.ORG or 910.323.4233 Matilda is an extraordinary girl with an appetite for books. As her vivid imagination pushes every boundary, she dares to dream a better life and becomes the hero of her own story. Based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl, this TONY Award winning musical revels in the magic of childhood and proves that you're never too young to be a hero! The beloved book-turned-film hits the stage!