Dear ARS friends and supporter,
We are very excited to work with CARS to present several webinars in May that focus on the development and accreditation of recovery schools and strategies for building strong and evidence-based adolescent recovery support programs within recovery high schools.
There is still time to register for these 1-hour webinars. You can click on the title of the webinar to register.
Wednesday, May 6 – 12:00 – 1:00 PM ET: ARS Accreditation Process Webinar: The Whys, the Hows, and the Tips for the Journey. Presented by Traci Bowermaster (former director of White Bear Lake Recovery High School), Travita Godfrey (Fortis Academy, Houston, TX), and Justin Savoy (Chesterfield Recovery Academy, Norfolk, VA)
This webinar will provide an overview of the ARS accreditation process, with particular attention to how the process has evolved—including the addition of pre‑accreditation and re‑accreditation components. The session will also highlight the perspectives of newly accredited schools, with a focus on how accreditation supports sustainability and their continuous school improvement process.
Tuesday, May 12 – 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET: Adolescent Recovery Supports. Presented by Dr. Andrew Finch (Vanderbilt University, Peabody School), Morgan Thompson (Prevention Links, Kenilworth, NJ), and Rachelle Gardner (Hope Academy, Indianapolis, IN)
Awareness of recovery high schools (rhs’s) and adolescent recovery support services remains limited, even though these programs improve school engagement and long-term recovery outcomes for youth. Many family, school, and community partners lack clear information on what services exist and how to access them. This webinar would be part of ARS’s overall effort to increase community awareness of RHS’s and the associated adolescent recovery support services.
Thursday, May 14 – 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET: Sears: Systematic Evaluation of Recovery Services. Presented by Dr. Andrew Finch (Vanderbilt, Peabody School), Dr. Jordan Jurinsky (Tufts University) , and Sharon Dursi Martin (Harmony Academy, Portland, OR)
The Systematic Evaluation of the Association of Recovery Schools (SEARS) provides tools for collecting, interpreting, and using data about students in RHSS. The SEARS tool provides a structured way for recovery high schools to gather and use data to support students, improve programming, and strengthen the broader field of adolescent recovery. This session will focus on sharing initialresults of the fall 25 administration with a foccus on providing updates on how the tool has been updated based on feedback from the field. There will also be an explanation of next steps.
