The ultimate objective of these groups is to help Brown community members develop the social support necessary for sustained recovery from addiction (based on their own recovery goals) so that they may continue their studies, graduate from college and thrive in their lives post-graduation.
The College
On-Campus Recovery Student Groups
Identify as a student in recovery from substance use? Join a weekly, one-hour meeting in the Early Recovery Group (EROB). Pizza and salad with GF and vegan options provided.
The Early Recovery Group is a weekly, one-hour meeting for Brown students (undergraduate, graduate, or medical) who have made a commitment to try to abstain from one or more substances that are disruptive to their desired experience at Brown.
EROB is facilitated by Jason Roderick, LISCW and Donovan Program for Recovery and Substance-Free Initiatives.
Meetings
Thursdays at noon in Maddock Alumni Center, Class of ‘33 Room
Join us for a weekly open dialogue on substance use and learn new skills on moderating use and reducing harms. You do not need to identify as sober to attend. Kabob and Curry with vegan and GF options provided.
The Skills for Harm Reduction Group is a weekly, drop-in learning space that offers tools to increase well-being. Each week, the group explores a new skill that can help reduce harms associated with substance use, while increasing positive routines in life. This meeting invites people who use all pathways to recovery and substance use. Skills learned draw from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), body-based mindfulness, and other practices.
SHR is facilitated by Taryn Wyron, LCSW, and the Donovan Program for Recovery and Sut=bstance-Free Initiatives.
Meetings
Every Tuesday at noon in Robert Center, Room 225
The Dean for Recovery and Substance-Free Student Initiatives hosts the Lunch Bunch, a monthly gathering for Brown faculty, staff, and graduate/medical/professional school students who are in recovery from addiction or who have been directly affected by another’s alcohol or drug use.
The Lunch Bunch provides members of the Brown community in recovery an opportunity to share their experiences with one another in a supportive setting. There is no expectation that members be affiliated with any other recovery group as a precondition for membership.
The Lunch Bunch is funded through the generosity of a Brown alum. Meals are provided free of charge, and membership is open throughout the year.
Please contact Dean Lindsay Garcia for more information and to be added to the private email list to learn about the dates of such gatherings.
These groups are led by licensed social workers from outside of Brown with experience working with people with substance use disorders and people who use substances. The meetings are drop-in, and students can attend as many or as few meetings as fits their needs. There is no requirement that members be affiliated with any other recovery, twelve-step, or support group to participate.
A student wishing to join one of these support groups is recommended to schedule a meeting with Dean Lindsay Garcia, but students can also just show up to one of the meetings. Recent Brown alumni and RISD students are also welcome to join these groups after meeting with the Dean.
12-step Groups That Meet On or Adjacent to Campus
The Recovery Meetings linked below have no affiliation with Brown University. The information on this page is provided as a service to the community. Due to the pandemic, this list is likely not 100% up to date, as many meetings have changed location or are currently meeting online (updated November 2023). Due to this constant flux, if you need help finding an in-person meeting, please contact Lindsay Garcia, the Dean for Recovery and Substance-Free Student Initiatives.
Here we list meetings that take place in-person on Brown’s campus or within a few blocks, though some are currently meeting online. Many are attended by young people in recovery. If you want to dip your toe into recovery meetings but are not yet ready to walk into a meeting, there are countless meeting opportunities online as a result of the pandemic. A complete list of common 12-step fellowship meetings in Rhode Island can be found here for: AA, NA and Al-Anon.
| 7:00 a.m | Breakfast with Bill AA Meeting Our Lady of the Rosary 71 Traverse Street |
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| 8:00 p.m. | AA @ 8 AA Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 941 6312 8231 Passcode: AAat8 |
| 12:15 p.m. | Mustard Seed AA Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 840 2596 4494 Password: agape |
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| 8:00 p.m. | Basic Young People's AA Meeting First Unitarian Church 1 Benevolent Street |
| 12:10 p.m. | Higher Powered Lunch Bunch Al-Anon Meeting St. Stephen's Church (2nd Floor) 114 George Street, Providence. This group will also be meeting via Zoom (password 705024) |
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| 7:00 p.m. | Regardless of Sexual Identity NA Meeting Currently online |
| 7:30 p.m. | How You Get Serenity (HUGS) LGBTQ Al Anon Meeting This group will be meeting online via Zoom until further notice. All are welcome to participate. Join the Zoom meeting (password 974794) |
| 12:15 p.m. | Mustard Seed AA Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 840 2596 4494 Password: agape |
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| 12:15 p.m. | Agape AA Meeting First Unitarian Church 1 Benevolent Street |
| 7:30 p.m. | *Queer Trans Young People (QTYP) AA Meeting Brown University, Alumnae Hall, Crystal Room |
| 7:30 p.m. | Loveline Group NA Meeting First Unitarian Church 1 Benevolent Street |
| 7:30 p.m. | Gift of Hope Al-Anon, Al Anon Meeting St. Martin’s Church 50 Orchard Ave, 3rd Floor |
| 12:00 p.m. | Out to Lunch Bunch AA Meeting Mathewson Street United Methodist Church 36 Mathewson Street |
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| 12:10 p.m. | *Higher Powered Lunch Bunch Al-Anon Meeting St. Stephen's Church (2nd Floor) 114 George Street, Providence. This group will also be meeting via Zoom (password 705024) |
| 7:00 p.m. | Co-Dependents Anonymous Providence CODA Meeting (60-minute open meeting) First Unitarian Church 1 Benevolent Street |
| 12:15 p.m. | Mustard Seed AA Meeting Zoom Meeting ID: 840 2596 4494 Password: agape |
|---|---|
| 12:15 p.m. | Agape AA Meeting First Unitarian Church 1 Benevolent Street |
| 6:00 p.m. | An Act of Providence AA Meeting Central Congregational Church 296 Angell Street (2nd floor; enter on Cooke Street) |
| 6:00 p.m. | We Agnostics AA Meeting St. Martin's Church, 3rd Floor (side entrance) 50 Orchard Street |
| 7:00 p.m. | Room to Grow NA Meeting Brown University, Smith Buonnono G12 |
| 12:00 p.m. | No Frills Women’s Sobriety AA Meeting St. Martin’s Church 50 Orchard Avenue |
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| 5:30 p.m. | Ticket-2-Sobriety AA Meeting Central Congregational Church 296 Angell Street |
| 6:30 p.m. | Brothers in Sobriety AA Meeting (Gay Men) Central Congregational Church 296 Angell Street |
| 10:30 p.m. | Saturday Night Live AA Meeting Providence Presbyterian Church 500 Hope Street |
| 10:00 a.m. | Room to Grow AA Meeting (Women) Brown University, Smith-Buonnono G12 |
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| 7:00 p.m. | Breathing Easy I AA/Al Anon Meeting First Unitarian Church 1 Benevolent Street (1st floor Al-Anon & second floor AA) |
| 8:15 p.m. | Breathing Easy II AA Meeting First Unitarian Church 1 Benevolent Street |
Las reuniones de AA en español están disponibles aquí.
Student-run Recovery and Substance-Free Initiatives
SoBear
In 2017, a group of Brown students formed a student club called SoBear: Being Sober - Having Fun. The group, open to undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, was developed in order to show that fun social activities do not require the use of substances. Anyone can participate in an event if they choose to not use substances that day.
Some past events include Halloween and Super Bowl Parties, an off-campus retreat during Spring Weekend, game nights, and even anti-stigma roundtable discussions. If you would like to receive emails from SoBear, please sign up for their listserv. You can find out more about their on- and off-campus events on their Facebook group or on their events calendar.
Other Cross-departmental Support Groups
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Bereavement Group, facilitated by Chaplain of the University Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson, and Gratitude Group, facilitated by Associate Chaplain of the University for the Protestant Community Rev. Del Demosthenes. These meetings are non-religious gathering spaces for reflection and support.
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Back to Brown, facilitated by Wilthonie Johnson-Goncalves, LISCW (CAPS)
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Trauma and Healing: A Support Group for Survivors of Sexual and Relational Harm, facilitated by the SHARE Advocates, LCSW (BWell Health Promotion)
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ADHD Support Group, co-facilitated by Erin Lane-Aaronian, Psy.D. (CAPS) and Desirae Mix, M.Ed. (Student Accessibility Services)
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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Group, facilitated by Chonlada Jarukitisakul, Ph.D. (CAPS)
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Queer and Trans of Color Support Group, co-facilitated by Corey Fitzgerald (CAPS), Caitlan O’Neill (LGBTQ Center), and Madyson Crawford (Sarah Doyle Center)
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Trans and Gender Diverse Support Group, co-facilitated by Jayden Thai, Ph.D. (CAPS) and Caitlin O’Neill (LGBTQ Center)
Being early in recovery can feel extremely isolating in its own right, but being young and in recovery on a college campus can feel even more so. I often felt alone and separate from the majority of my peers who didn’t share my experience. I am so grateful for Brown’s recovery programming where I was able to connect with other students in recovery and get support from others in the Brown community who did share my experiences, and who supported me unconditionally in my recovery.