<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2jUcnK_1FMZsHhJ00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2jUcnK_1FMZsHhJ00" width="1200" height="600" ><p>FORT KENT, Maine (WAGM) - A new high school in the St. John Valley is designed for students working through substance use and recovery.</p><p>The Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School is based on the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus and accepts students from across Aroostook County.</p><p>Peter Caron, alternative education administrator for the Valley Unified Education Service Center, said the school was created to address a gap in support for students who leave school for help and then return to the same environment.</p><p>“We knew that we needed a local service to help students who were struggling, students who have great potential but are stuck in a cycle that we needed to help them break,” Caron said.</p><h2>Enrollment and structure</h2><p>Caron said four students are currently enrolled. Three are taking part in the school-week residential program, and one is attending during the school day. The program can ultimately serve between 12 and 14 students, depending on their needs and available staffing.</p><p>Caron said the recovery high school can give students more individualized attention than staff may be able to provide in a traditional school setting.</p><p>“I think social workers, guidance staff in traditional high school settings are wonderful professionals, but I often feel like they’re drinking through fire hoses. And recovery support services require much more individual attention and much more individualized effort than they can conceivably provide as wonderful, gifted, and talented as they are,” Caron said.</p><p>Students begin their days in career and technical education programs at the St. John Valley Technology Center. They then return to the UMFK campus for academics, wellness and recovery education.</p><h2>University setting</h2><p>UMFK President and Provost Deb Hedeen said the university environment offers students a different setting to continue their education.</p><p>“What it offers the students is to be in a place where other students are learning in a valued environment that really welcomes all individuals and really celebrates diversity. And we believe that was a perfect spot for these high school students that needed a new opportunity, a new experience to think about their education,” Hedeen said.</p><p>Hedeen said having the program at UMFK could also allow students to begin thinking about what comes after they earn their high school diploma.</p><p>“Absolutely. We’re hoping that because of the opportunity being already, for the students to be able to say, I attend in many ways, UMFK. I’m a student located on the UMFK campus. They would then consider, once they complete their high school diploma, to consider staying with us and pursuing associate’s degree to a bachelor’s degree,” Hedeen said.</p><h2>Recovery support</h2><p>Recovery support is built directly into the school day. The program has a full-time recovery counselor who works individually with students and as a group, while also coordinating with families and community providers.</p><p>“And then the recovery counselor also works with the parents to help ensure that they have all the knowledge and information they need to be able to support their child’s recovery journey,” Caron said.</p><h2>Funding and next steps</h2><p>The school was launched with $616,000 from the Maine Recovery Council. Organizers are looking at ways to secure additional funding. Caron said they would like to collect several years of data to determine the long-term demand for the program.</p><p>Caron said success will also be measured by whether students can make progress in recovery while catching up academically and getting back on track toward graduation.</p><p>“If we can help them catch up and get back on track to finish high school within a traditional time frame and therefore feel hopeful about their futures, then that will be a significant indicator of success as well,” Caron said.</p><p>Families interested in the program are encouraged to first contact their student’s school guidance counselor or other providers already working with the student. Caron said schools, families and community providers all play a role in determining whether the recovery high school is the right option for a student.</p></div></body>

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FORT KENT, Maine (WAGM) - A new high school in the St. John Valley is designed for students working through substance use and recovery. The Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School is based on the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus and accepts students from across Aroostook County.

Recovery high school opens in St. John Valley

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FORT KENT, Maine (WAGM) - A new high school in the St. John Valley is designed for students working through substance use and recovery. The Upper St. John 

Recovery high school opens in St. John Valley

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