MU students recovering from drug and alcohol addiction will still have the option to reside on campus in recovery-focused housing next semester despite the designated rooms sitting vacant this semester.
[The initiative started](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/9/13/recovery-focused-sober-housing-remains-empty-still/) following conversations with students in recovery who wanted a place where they could feel supported by others in similar situations, Wellness Resource Center Director Kim Dude said.
Dude said the reason the available rooms in Discovery Hall are empty is because students either chose not to come to MU or to live somewhere else, not because of insufficient accommodations.
“We have been given no indication that they felt that their needs were not being met,” Dude said. “My understanding is that most decided not to come to Mizzou.”
MU spokesman Christian Basi said these spaces will continue to be held throughout the academic year.
“The Wellness Resource Center is going to work closely with Residential Life, Admissions, Off-Campus Student Services and the transfer office to attempt to get the word out to students about this opportunity,” Dude said.
Dude said the Department of Residential Life has been very supportive of the initiative.
[The Missouri Assessment of College Health Behaviors Survey](http://pip.missouri.edu/docs/briefs/PIP_5_2.pdf) noted that 4-7 percent of college students in Missouri reported being in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction.
Results from the study showed that there are a variety of popular treatment types for students who identified as sober and in recovery. Thirty percent indicated moderation management, 28 percent indicated 12 Step approaches, and 13 percent selected treatment based. The other 29 percent said they utilized religion or religious-based treatments for their recovery process.
The Wellness Resource Center continues to educate the community about excessive alcohol consumption and provide counseling. The “Alcohol Prevention Strategic Plan” is an attempt by the center to reduce binge drinking, increase the number of students who make responsible decisions involving alcohol and restrict the access and availability of excessive amounts of alcohol to students.
Dude said she is hopeful the initiative will be a success in the future. She also said that across the nation, campuses that have recovery housing have said it takes a couple of years to get it off the ground.
_Edited by Claire Mitzel | cmitzel@themaneater.com_