Young People in Recovery with Ann HerbstYoung People in Recovery with Ann Herbst
Recovery Recharged with Ellen Stewart Pushy Broad from the Bronx
Young People in Recovery is an organization that envisions a world where all young people have the resources they need to thrive in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol. Learn how to be a part of this movement. Watch...
25:57•13 Mar 2024
Young People in Recovery: Building Real-Life Support Beyond Treatment
Episode Overview
- YPR offers free, peer-led recovery support focused on practical life skills rather than clinical treatment.
- All recovery pathways are welcomed, including 12-step, SMART Recovery, medication-supported and harm reduction approaches.
- Chapters provide pro-social activities, advocacy opportunities and community service to help make recovery a full, engaging life.
- Structured programmes support young adults, justice-involved individuals and high school students who may be misusing substances.
- Special groups and resources exist for parents, allies, LGBTIQ+ youth and Spanish-speaking participants to increase safety and inclusion.
“Please don't suffer in silence. Your life is important and we want you to have a happy, good life full of health and wellness. And it is possible. Recovery is possible at any age.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol and drugs when the world around them still revolves around partying? This episode centres on Young People in Recovery (YPR), an organisation built by young people, for young people, to help them build lives that actually work after treatment. Rather than offering clinical care, YPR focuses on practical "life skills"—things like finding education, jobs, housing, and safe social circles that support sobriety.
Host Ellen Stewart talks with executive director Ann Herbst, who explains that many young people do well in treatment but "when they went back home to the typical triggers and settings where their addiction first took root, they were struggling." YPR was created to fill that gap, offering peer-led chapters across multiple states and a wide mix of in-person and online groups.
You'll hear how YPR welcomes all pathways to recovery—12-step, SMART Recovery, medication-supported, faith-based, harm reduction, or "sober curious"—without asking for clean-time milestones. There are specific spaces for parents and allies, LGBTIQ+ youth, Spanish speakers, and young people still unsure whether they’re in recovery but worried about their substance use. Ann breaks down YPR’s structured programmes, including the My Recovery Is Epic curriculum for young adults, support for justice-involved people, and prevention-focused work with teenagers.
She also touches on initiatives like naloxone training, pro-social activities such as hiking or basketball, and community projects that let members shape their own version of a fulfilling life. The conversation closes with a heartfelt message to anyone feeling ashamed or isolated: "Please don't suffer in silence.
Your life is important and we want you to have a happy, good life full of health and wellness." If you or a young person you care about is searching for genuine connection and practical support around recovery, this episode might be the nudge that helps you take that first step.
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