Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation

Programs: Youth people in recovery - ypr membership chapters are led by a volunteer and professional staff of young people in recovery and work in coordination with the national youth recovery foundation. Ypr members are dedicated to spreading awareness that young people can and do recover from drug and alcohol addiction. They work to create and expand the support structures young people need to stay in active recovery in their communities, and share their personal stories with the greater community in order to replicate what works best. Yprs will collaborate with school boards, parent-teacher associations, local and state government agencies, the court system, the mental health system and others to promote prevention, treatment, and aftercare support. A ypr chapter can take many shapes: participants can establish a regular face-to-face meeting, or in areas that are too geographically remote, communicate via conference call, skype, or social media. Local ypr chapters coordinate with the larger national ypr leadership and nyrf for training and support. National leadership is cultivated from within the local membership chapters, assuring future sustainability as older members "age out" or move on with their lives. Typical offerings from a ypr chapter might be: college and career fairs; sober spring break activities; public service such as sitting on a community board, school board, public health group, or criminal justice board; building or upgrading local sober housing; organizing education and awareness events at the local and state level; speaking about recovery in local high schools and middle schools; and more.

public awareness - visibility in the public sector is a key component of nyrf's mission. This will occur on the federal, state, and local levels. Nyrf will leverage its numbers by organizing parents, families, and friends of young people in recovery; educators; medical professionals; and others-as well as ypr members-to advocate for the programs and services young people need and to remove barriers that hinder long-term recovery. On the local level, we would make sure that yprs and families of young people in recovery are represented in the decision-making groups such as school boards, city planning committees, and other bodies so that young people in recovery will have a voice at the table when important issues like funding for local treatment, aftercare, education programs, job training, or zoning for sober housing are decided. On the state level, we would develop a strategic drug and alcohol plan for youth in each state by working with existing legislative and regulatory bodies like the governor's office and state agencies on drug abuse prevention and treatment as well as local community boards, school boards, healthcare networks and the criminal justice system. Currently, only one state in the nation (minnesota) has an integrated drug and alcohol plan for youth. Nyrf is already in discussion with two states (new york and new jersey) for creating an integrated plan in these states. As we continue to build our presence nationwide, we hope to assist in creating plans in all 50 states. On the federal level, focus its efforts on increasing staffing and funding for positions within federal agencies that focus on recovery, rather than allowing all federal money to be funneled into interdiction and/or incarceration.

scholarships - awarded 6 college scholarships to young people in recovery.

the national youth recovery foundation funds and promotes programs and initiatives that increase young people's access to treatment and aftercare; support students as they continue and complete their educations; help young adults build career and social networks; and remove barriers to their sustained and active recovery.