Recovery College VCH
A community wellness learning centre that offers free courses and groups that help you develop your own resourcefulness.
A virtual learning community
Recovery College VCH offers courses and groups that cover a wide range of wellness-related topics aimed at helping people improve their health and well-being. Course and group categories include self-discovery, wellness, training, and social connection.
Our foundation is built upon providing a safe, welcoming space where individuals can create meaningful connections, explore mental health and wellness, and feel empowered in their own journey.
We value the lived experience of peers, people who live with mental-health and substance-use challenges. Peers are central to contributing as planners, organizers, educators, and participants. Recovery College VCH is a place where the expertise of peer facilitators, service providers and other content experts are blended to help participants develop meaningful goals for themselves.
Online and in-person learning options
If you have a reliable internet connection, you are welcome to register for any online opportunity that interests you. In-person courses and groups are also offered in the Vancouver area.
Some courses and groups run for one session or weekly sessions over several weeks. We try to keep the length of each session under two hours. Courses and workshops vary throughout the year.
Categories include:
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Self-discovery
Explore topics related to dreams and aspirations.
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Wellness
Engage in meaningful activities to enhance positive health, quality of life, and sense of well-being in many different areas. These can include social, spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental wellness.
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Social Connection
Share stories to receive and give support as well as celebrate successes and strengths.
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Training
Gain knowledge and practical skills which can lead to enhancing one’s life and managing mental health and/or substance use challenges personally or in the workplace.
Courses
Anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in strengthening their health and well-being is welcome to attend. Our courses and groups may be particularly appealing to people who are having with mental health and/or substance use challenges, or those who are supporting a family or friend in their recovery.
No referral is needed, and courses are free.
Frequently asked questions
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What is recovery?
Recovery is a process, not an end point. A recovery journey is unique to each individual and involves a self-directed pursuit of purpose, connectedness, and well-being. There are many definitions of recovery for people with mental health and/or substance use challenges, what they have in common is an emphasis on hope, meaning making, resilience, empowerment, and a belief that it is possible for people with mental health and/or substance use challenges to live a satisfying life, regardless of the challenges they face.
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How is Recovery College VCH different from other learning opportunities?
Recovery Colleges are unique because they use co-production — the creative style where peers, and other content experts work together as equals to develop a course or a service. Co-production is based on the principle that those who use a service are in the best position to help design it. The Recovery College model adopts co-production in all levels of its operations including course and group development and facilitation and governance.
