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By; Sydney Cheifetz, Office of Health Promotion

Hi Zag parents and families, we hope you had a rejuvenating and fun summer break! As we celebrate a new academic year, we are excited to bring your attention to information and resources regarding recovery support at GU. OUR House, Gonzaga’s collegiate recovery community, is a community of students connecting through similar experiences and efforts to stop or reduce their use of substances or other potentially harmful behaviors. We welcome students exploring both sobriety or reduced use and offer meetings, study spaces, snacks, sober social events, and a community of peers with similar goals.

Many Zags don’t use alcohol or other drugs, and they are not alone in that. However, some college students, including Gonzaga students identify as people in recovery from Substance Use Disorders (SUD) or other potentially harmful behaviors. In fact, 1 in 5 Gonzaga students could meet the criteria for a SUD. Maybe they can’t stop drinking once they’ve started or they consistently binge drink on the weekends. In college, this might be perceived as normal, but outside of the college environment, this is a criteria for a clinical diagnosis. Therefore, if during a student’s time at Gonzaga University they want to explore stopping or cutting back, OUR House is here to help.

Last year, The Office of Health Promotion (OHP) was awarded grant funds from the State of Washington which supported the expansion of the program as well as harm reduction efforts at GU. OHP now offers a 90-minute training to faculty, staff, and students regarding how to be a recovery ally. In addition to campus culture, we know that parents and families play an important role in a student’s college experience and we highly encourage you as parents and families to be knowledgeable about what is offered at Gonzaga, the realities of addiction, and how you can support your Zag should they ever want to explore more learning opportunities or connection to resources related to recovery.

Today we write not only to make you aware of this campus resource but also to ask for your support as most families have been impacted by addiction in one way or another. As we work to grow recovery opportunities for Gonzaga students, we are seeking the support of parents and families. If you know a Zag who may be having a hard time with their alcohol or other drug use, we encourage you to check out the OUR House website to learn more. Additionally, if you are interested in helping us provide increased opportunities to Zags exploring recovery through a donation, please reach out to Sydney Cheifetz at cheifetz@gonzaga.edu. Together we can provide opportunities to members of the Zag community as they live their best lives. If you're interested in learning more about OUR House, addiction of any kind, harm reduction or how to support a Zag, please reach out at Recovery@gonzaga.edu.