FAIRFIELD—James was just another young person thinking about his future. At 21, he had his entire life ahead of him, and he was considering the possibilities, while lying on the sofa in his parents’ Westchester home.
As he saw it, there were three options: suicide, dying from drugs and alcohol…or sobriety. He chose sobriety.
That was four years ago. Today, James Cafran is the coordinator of the Sacred Heart University Collegiate Recovery Program, which began operations last fall and is among a growing number of college programs in the country.
A lounge in the Main Academic Building provides a place for 12-Step meetings along with yoga and meditation classes. The area is available to any students struggling with addiction or related issues so they can gather and talk.
“This lounge makes people know they are not alone,” Cafran said. “It’s where students can meet other students in similar situations. They can just hang out and talk. It’s all about knowing someone who has been through, or who is going through, what you are. Whether they’re talking about being sober or whatever, it’s about having that bond and feeling comfortable.”
Cafran, who has been in recovery since 2016, is available to talk with students facing similar challenges. “Everything is confidential. They can contact me to inquire about the program, and I will maintain their anonymity,” he said.
“We have people who have problems with drugs, alcohol and life and are discontent with themselves—and that is all really the same thing,” he said. “These students are helping me with my own sobriety, whether they know it or not. I’m grateful for the people who come here and let me tell my story, and if they get something out of it, it’s a better high than anything.”
In addition to 12-Step meetings, there are all-inclusive recovery sessions for young people who may not be in a program but are seeking some type of recovery in their lifestyle or who are dealing with friends or family members struggling with substance abuse.
“We have every possible resource that anyone would need,” he said. In order to be part of the program, students must have a desire to stop using drugs or alcohol through an abstinence-based lifestyle.
The mission of the program, Cafran said, is “to create a safe and supportive educational environment where students in recovery from substance use disorders can be the best version of themselves and live to their best academic potential, and to give every student the best possible chance at achieving success through physical, mental and spiritual growth.”
Sacred Heart also has a partnership with Progressive Institute, a counseling organization in Shelton that treats people with mental health and substance abuse issues and provides clinical services for students who suffer from addiction.
Liz Modugno, the clinical director at Progressive Institute, said, “We’ll be able to assess each student to see what their needs are…and work with Sacred Heart to offer individual therapy, group therapy and other services that promote wellness and recovery.”
By next September, the university plans to create a sober living space at the Scholars Common for four students in recovery, Cafran said. A graduate assistant will share their living arrangements in the apartment. To be eligible, students will be required to have some type of grounding, whether a 12-Step sponsor, a recovery coach or participation in a program.
Larry Wielk, dean of students, said the program has been extremely well received by the Sacred Heart community. “When we send a global out to the community, promoting an activity sponsored by the Collegiate Recovery Program, we always get a response with someone telling us their personal story or the story of a friend or loved one. This program seems to touch a lot of folks on campus,” he said.
“It’s all about second, and third and maybe even fourth chances,” Wielk said. “These are strong students who suffer from a disease that they are fighting back against. And for us, it is a chance to partner with them to successfully complete this part of their journey and give them the tools and structure they need, as well as to make sure they are an integral part of the campus community.”
Bill Mitchell, a trustee of Sacred Heart since 2002 and Vice Chairman of Mitchell Family Stores, was the driving force behind the program.
Mitchell, who has been in recovery 29 years, approached the school’s president, Dr. John J. Petillo with the idea and received an overwhelmingly positive response.
“Recovery saved my life, and it gave me a life,” said Mitchell, who provided a significant gift to the university to start the program.
He also traveled around the country to see what other colleges were doing and visited the University of Alabama, which has one of the leading programs in the nation. When Sacred Heart began developing the program, it turned to Caron Treatment Centers, an internationally recognized not-for-profit organization that specializes in addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment.
“What family do you know that doesn’t have someone suffering addiction?” Mitchell said. “We stepped up to the plate and did what we did as a Catholic school. People want their kids to come to Sacred Heart because of the character of the school. We are a school that believes in Catholic education, and we support a culture of hard work, faith, honesty, niceness, kindness … and now we have recovery.”
Over the years, Mitchell has helped many individuals in recovery and has been a friend and mentor to several Sacred Heart students striving to live clean and sober. James Cafran was one of them. “I could not have gotten this done without James,” Mitchell said. “I took him before the board of trustees, and James told his story. You could hear a pin drop. Then, the board voted approval.”
Cafran’s message to students is one of hope and encouragement. It’s also a simple message: “If you get sober now, at such a young age, you will have your whole life ahead of you. I’m super grateful I got sober at a young age,” he said “But it is just for today.”
(For more information about the recovery program, contact James Cafran, Recovery Coordinator, at 914.849.8590 or cafranj@sacredheart.edu.)
By Joe Pisani
