The Effects of a Recovery High School Program on Recovering Adolescents' Resilience.

This article examines the role of recovery high schools (RHSs)—specialized secondary schools for adolescents recovering from substance use disorders (SUD)—in enhancing resilience among students with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Using secondary data from 30 adolescents attending a South Texas RHS, the study found a statistically significant increase in resilience scores after 90 days of RHS participation, suggesting that the RHS environment, which integrates therapeutic and academic supports within a restorative justice framework, may foster protective factors that support recovery. The Teen Pediatric ACEs and Related Life Events Screener (PEARLS) and the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised (CYRM-R) were used to assess trauma exposure and resilience, respectively. The findings highlight the potential for school social workers to apply trauma-informed, evidence-based practices aligned with adolescent social work standards to promote self-empowerment and resilience in this population. Limitations include the small sample size, single-site data, and inability to establish causality, indicating a need for further research across multiple RHSs and longer timeframes.