Launching a Recovery High School | Episode 074 with Alejandra Gastelum

Alejandra Gastelum, founder of Power Academy, shares her journey from being a successful shoe designer to starting the first recovery high school in Arizona. She saw a gap in the continuum of care for adolescents struggling with addiction and wanted to provide a supportive environment for their recovery. Recovery high schools have been proven to significantly increase abstinence, graduation rates, and mental health outcomes for students. Alejandra emphasizes the importance of individualized care and the need for a smaller, more supportive setting for these students. She is working towards opening multiple Power Academy locations across Arizona. Alejandra discusses the key components of a recovery high school and the importance of community support. She emphasizes the need for partnerships and collaboration to make the program successful. Alejandra also shares her journey in creating Power Academy and provides an outline for starting a recovery high school. The acronym POWER stands for Providing Opportunities with Education and Recovery.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties
03:10 Alejandra's Journey from Shoe Designer to Founder of Power Academy
08:06 The Need for Recovery High Schools and the Impact on Students
13:08 The Success of Recovery High Schools in Increasing Abstinence and Graduation Rates
15:20 The Importance of Individualized Care and Support in Recovery High Schools
19:36 Power Academy's Vision for Expanding Access to Recovery High Schools
23:18 The Key Components of a Recovery High School
28:04 The Importance of Volunteer Work and Support in Recovery
29:25 The Need for New Approaches to Address Substance Use
33:08 Building Partnerships and Collaboration
44:45 The POWER of Providing Opportunities with Education and Recovery

Link from the episode:
Alejandra's website: https://poweracademy-us.org/

Takeaways
Recovery high schools provide a supportive environment for adolescents struggling with addiction and mental health issues.
These schools have been shown to significantly increase abstinence, graduation rates, and mental health outcomes for students.
Individualized care and a smaller, more supportive setting are crucial for the success of recovery high schools.
Power Academy is the first recovery high school in Arizona and aims to open multiple locations across the state. Recovery high schools provide support and education for students struggling with substance abuse.
Partnerships and collaboration are essential for the success of a recovery high school.
Research and attend conferences to learn more about recovery high schools and connect with experts in the field.
Create a business plan and obtain nonprofit status for the organization.
Engage with school districts and government officials to secure funding and support.
Focus on providing opportunities for education and recovery to students.
The acronym POWER stands for Providing Opportunities with Education and Recovery.

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