NRCC Connection Center
This fall, students at New River Community College will have access to the school’s brand new collegiate recovery space. Located in Godbey Hall, the Connection Center is open to all students. Chad Fox, the Recovery Program Specialist of NRCC, explained how a key goal of the new space is to reduce stigma through community building on campus.
Stigma surrounding substance use disorder and mental health challenges in the New River Valley is persistent, yet through connection, it can be reduced. Since the implementation of Fox’s new position as a peer recovery specialist on campus, more and more students have felt comfortable seeking out resources and approaching challenging conversations.
Fox hosts educational trainings for NRCC students and staff, including naloxone trainings. This past year Fox shared that he passed out over 400 doses of naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan. One of his students recently saved a community member’s life in a public space thanks to the naloxone, highlighting the importance of being prepared as a bystander.
Additionally, Fox plans on offering group meetings each week in the new space to help students strengthen time management strategies, practice grounding techniques, and discuss other important life skills that are not always taught in the classroom. Fox shared that recovery should be viewed as a broad concept that centers around striving to become a better version of yourself. Student Resources Manager Jack Watkins explained how the values of recovery align with those of education.
“The community college is here for people who want to better themselves. And at the heart of it, that is exactly what recovery is. Those two missions have just blended so beautifully together, [allowing] students who are trying to get a higher education to better themselves in all facets of their life.” Watkins
Centers like this one provide students with on campus support, regardless of whether or not substance use impacts their lives. The new NRCC space offers a wide variety of resources, including an accessible food pantry, free school supplies for parenting students, and most importantly, a safe space where anyone is welcome. Both Fox and Watkins are confident that the new space will generate professionalism and optimism at NRCC, all while strengthening community on campus through increased opportunities for connection.
For more information about the NRCC program, email cfox@nr.edu or check out Well-Being on Campus: The Role of Collegiate Recovery Programs for general information.
