Young People in Recovery (YPR) is a national grassroots advocacy organization focused on creating recovery-ready communities throughout the nation for young people in, or seeking, recovery from addiction. YPR aims to improve access to treatment; educational resources; employment opportunities; and secure, stable housing that sustains young people in their recovery. YPR was formed in 2010 by young people in recovery who were interns at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). It is led by CEO & President Justin Luke Riley, a young person in recovery who also serves as president of the Board of Directors for Advocates for Recovery, and is a former youth and community engagement pastor in Denver. Since its founding, YPR has collaborated with the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a presidential executive council, and its officers have testified with Patrick Kennedy, as well as other recovery leaders, in support of health insurance parity for substance abuse disorder. YPR has been honored by nationally recognized bodies in the field of drug policy and addiction treatment. In 2013, YPR founding executive director Devin Fox was singled out by the ONDCP to receive its Advocates for Action award. In 2014, YPR was privileged to receive the Emerging Young Leaders award from the National Association of Drug & Alcohol Addiction Counselors (NADAAC). In July 2014, YPR held its first-ever National Leadership Conference, which trained chapter members on leadership development, fundraising, community organizing, the facilitation of YPR’s educational and employment programs, and media messaging. YPR programs, which are offered 100% free of charge to the general public, consist of education, housing and employment workshops focused on how young people in recovery can access resources in their communities. They are led by YPR chapter members who are themselves young people in recovery and include critical topics such as how to write a resume and cover letter; how to explain gaps in one’s background due to incarceration or treatment; how to find safe and affordable housing that supports long-term recovery; how to continue or complete one’s education, whether that consists of a GED, college, graduate or vocational/professional certificates and/or degrees. YPR chapters provide social activities in addition to chapter meetings and workshops so young people in recovery can develop a safe and supportive alternative peer group, and YPR chapter members also collaborate with other local nonprofits, treatment centers and civic groups to present drug and alcohol awareness, prevention and recovery events in their local communities. Finally, YPR has partnered with Transforming Youth Recovery, a Reno-based organization, to do asset-mapping in the communities in which we operate, which will allow chapter members and the general public to more easily locate and identify existing community resources that support youth recovery.
