CMU Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) & Harm Reduction
Whether you are in recovery from substance use, considering recovery, taking a break, or seeking resources for safer use, the CMU Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) can provide you with affirming supports that help promote a healthy, balanced, and meaningful life on campus.
For more information about support meetings, social events, projects or related programs, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter. You may also email recovery@andrew.cmu.edu or leave an anonymous suggestion in our Substance Use Supports Suggestion Box.
Peer Support Meeting
Meet with a Peer Health Advocate (PHA) who gets it. Students can schedule with a CMU student to talk about navigating their relationship with alcohol, drugs, or any behavior while in college. PHAs are confidential reporting sources. What is shared there, stays there, unless there is a concern about a student's immediate safety or someone else’s.
We use SAMHSA's working definition of recovery to refer to a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.
Free Narcan
Narcan nasal spray is available on campus. Narcan is a brand of naloxone - a medication that reversals overdoses caused by opioids.
To get Narcan, visit a Wellness To Go Vending Machine
Information about how to use Narcan is available via the Instructions for Use pdf on the Narcan website and via the video below.
Click here to access Narcan instructions in Chinese and Hindi!
Free Fentanyl and Xylazine Drug Test Strips
Fentanyl drug testing strips are available on campus. They are a proactive measure that people can use to check their drugs (cocaine, pills, etc.) prior to use to know if what they are consuming has fentanyl in it.
To get fentanyl test strips, visit a Wellness To Go Vending Machine or request them from UHS.
Information about how to use fentanyl test strips is available via the page How to Test Your Drugs Using Fentanyl Test Strips. Instructions are also included and provided with test strips.
Recovery Ally Trainings
Grow your understanding of substance use disorder. Learn about local resources, and best practices for supporting folks and combating stigma.
To request a Recovery Ally Training for a specific department, group, organization, please email recovery@andrew.cmu.edu.
LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC Supports
Access to culturally responsive mental health and substance use support is vital. View local LGBTQIA+ inclusive recovery resources here.
Below are a few resources developed by and for Black, Indigenous, People of Color:
Substance use resources and referrals
If someone is a student and would like to talk privately with a Health Promotion staff person about their relationship with substances, they may self schedule via HealthConnect.
If someone is interested in receiving a clinical assessment for substance use, they may be connected with a local provider via the Health Promotion department, or reach out to someone from the list of clinical resources included in the "Map of Substance Use and Addiction Resources in Pittsburgh" above. Onala Recovery Center partners with Gateway to offer free, walk-in assessments with no identifiable information needed from 9:30-3:30 every Friday.
If someone is curious about exploring their relationship with substances and is not interested in talking with a professional about their use at this time, the free, printable workbook linked below may be helpful:
Support for people with loved ones who use substances
5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself When Someone You Love Uses Drugs
Mental Health Supports
Substance use disorder is a mental health condition, and it also often occurs simultaneously with another mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, PTSD, eating disorder, etc.
- CMU Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS)
- Crisis Support Resources
- TimelyCare at CMU
- Mental Health First Aid Training
- Health Promotion Appointments:Stress, Sleep, Substance Use, Gender Affirming Care Navigation, Sexual Health. Schedule through HealthConnect or call UHS at 412-268-2157, option 2.
Sober/substance-free roommate matching
This Sober/Substance-Free Roommate Matching form serves as a roommate matching tool for students who attend Pittsburgh colleges/universities and are looking for roommates who are in recovery or are abstaining from substance use.
Accommodations for people with substance use disorder
Did you know that substance use disorder is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? The Office of Disability Resources can provide students with responsive, reasonable accommodations. Faculty and staff are able to access Disability Services through Human Resources.