Beginning this year, students curious about sobriety or reducing substance use will be able to attend anonymous weekly meetings with the Claremont Recovery Collective. Each Sunday, the collective gathers from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Heggblade Annex at Claremont McKenna College.
The Claremont Recovery Collective is not the first organization on campus for students seeking a substance-free lifestyle. Club Soda, for instance, has been hosting substance-free activities on the weekends for several years. Still, the collective is unique in that it operates as a recovery-specific support space.
According to Jess Neilson, CMC’s senior assistant dean of students for mental health and health promotion, the last-known recovery group on campus was a 5C 12-step student group that she last heard about in 2021.
Jess Neilson, CMC’s senior assistant dean of students for mental health and health promotion, said the last she heard about a student recovery group on campus was in 2021.
The Claremont Recovery Collective has since stepped up to support students struggling with substance use. The organization aspires to offer a long-term safe space for all students, including those who are sober, those still using and anyone seeking harm-reduction strategies.
There is no facilitator or expert in the room, in hopes of creating an environment in which students feel free to discuss their own experiences without risk of judgment or retribution.
One of the collective’s founders, who requested to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said that the club has helped them in their own journey to stay substance-free..
“One reason I’ve continued to stay sober is service to other people,” they said. “I see [that] starting groups like this, going to meetings [and] being a resource for other people who are struggling on campus as a way to continue that service.”
Part of the group’s mission is to decrease the stigma surrounding sobriety on campus while supporting people who feel isolated by substance-use culture at the 5Cs.
Neilson believes that the prevalence of substance use on campus may be related to a decline in student mental health over the past couple of years.
“It’s not surprising to me that as we see more young people struggling with their mental health, we also see instances of substance use rise, too,” Neilson said.
The co-founder of the collective expressed similar sentiments.
“I can speak from my experience at CMC, the way that party life is organized is incredibly centered on substance culture,” they said. “I think it’s a bit of a shocker when you tell people you don’t drink.”
Nevertheless, the co-founder emphasized that the group isn’t trying to stop all alcohol use on campus.
“We understand that it’s going to happen, and so we want to be there for people who feel alienated by the culture, who feel like they’re drinking too much or who just want to learn more about what sobriety is like,” they said.
Outside of the collective, Neilson said that there are other actions that the campus community can take to create a more supportive culture in regard to sobriety and safe substance use habits. One of them, she said, is to respect the choices and lifestyles of those who choose not to drink.
“If someone tells you they don’t want to partake, please just say ‘cool’ and move on,” she said.
Gabriela Portillo PZ ’28 echoed Neilson’s advice to respect others’ choices.
“It’s no one’s business to meddle in another person’s personal life choices,” Portillo said. “It doesn’t harm anyone to not drink.”
The collective’s co-founder also emphasized the importance of being mindful of the language used to discuss sobriety.
“Something as simple as, ‘if you don’t want to drink, we don’t have to drink this weekend,’ is enough to make a difference,” they said.
On a personal level, according to Neilson, reflecting on one’s own behaviors may be the first step in creating more healthy habits.
“I would encourage folks to take a minute and think about the ‘why’ behind their actions,” Neilson said. “Drinking while watching the game or to celebrate a friend’s birthday is a lot different from drinking multiple nights a week … in order to forget about your day or numb the negative feelings you might be having.”
For students feeling concerned about their own substance use habits or those of a friend, Neilson urges students to utilize campus resources.
“Therapists at Monsour are confidential and can help you identify next steps, as can mental health and health education folks on your own campus,” she said.
Apart from professional help, the collective strives to foster an open and inclusive environment, according to the co-founder.
“I think we’re just very much here for everyone,” the co-founder said. “There’s no requirement for … being part of the group.”
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