Auraria Recovery Community (ARC) Participation Agreement
Participant and Program Goals:
Under the administrative oversight of the Health Center at Auraria, the Auraria Recovery Community is designed to provide a voluntary, peer-led program offering supportive services and social engagement opportunities to students attending Community College of Denver, MSU Denver and CU Denver who personally struggle or are connected to people who struggle with substance use and/or other process addictions.
ARC values all pathways to recovery including (but not limited to): harm reduction, abstinence, spiritual approaches, self-help, moderation or cutting down. The community honors a harm reduction model. According to Harm Reduction International harm reduction “refers to policies, programs and practices that aim to minimize the negative health, social and legal impacts associated with drug use [and other addictive behaviors], drug policies and drug laws. Harm reduction is grounded in justice and human rights. It focuses on positive change and on working with people without judgement, coercion, discrimination or requiring that people stop using drugs as a precondition of support.”
ARC Core Values
Safety
Create a safe and accepting space for all members, regardless of identity, belief systems, etc. Practice cultural sensitivity and be mindful of language (how it comes off and how it can be perceived by those of differing identities). Honor pronouns, preferred names, and recovery journey experiences of all members. Actively promote a space of inclusivity for all members and speak out when this is threatened.
Personal Recovery
Work on my recovery in a way that improves my satisfaction with myself, my life, my well-being, and my relationships.
Honesty
If choosing to engage, we encourage people to be honest and authentic in this space even (or especially) when it is challenging.
Credibility/Accountability
Refrain from gossip. Do what I say I am going to do (show up). Be reliable. Knowing that mistakes can and will happen, I will acknowledge and/or put energy toward mending a situation when I've impacted someone in a harmful way.
Humility
Handle disagreements respectfully, admit when I am wrong and seek help when I need it.
Tolerance/Acceptance
Radically accept all pathways to recovery however diverse, or those opposite my own. Radical Acceptance does not mean I have to agree. It means accepting what is real.
Discretion
Respect and maintain privacy of peers. Seek assistance from ARC student leader or professional staff if I or someone I know is at risk of suicidal behaviors, urges to harm others, or abuse.
Advocacy/Social Justice
Confront injustice when observed. Acknowledge and explore how intersectionality impacts each person's recovery journey. Utilize support of ARC leadership if identifying concerns but not feeling comfortable to confront them, individually.
Self-Improvement
Foster self-improvement both inside and outside of the ARC space .