McNabb Center Breaks Ground on Elevate Recovery Program for High School Students
The expansion of the McNabb Center’s Elevate Recovery Program for high school students began today with a groundbreaking ceremony on the site of a soon-to-be new, standalone 13,000 square-foot building. The Elevate Recovery Program has transformed what school and recovery look like for high school students. Students continue to stay on track to achieve their educational goals while also receiving recovery services making the Elevate Recovery Program the only school of its kind in the state. 
“By addressing both their educational and recovery needs simultaneously, recovery high schools empower students to rebuild their lives and thrive in sobriety,” said McNabb Center President and CEO Mona Blanton-Kitts.
The new facility will triple the Elevate Program’s student capacity from twenty to sixty students through providing three classrooms, treatment and office spaces, a student lounge and an outdoor classroom—all created intentionally for students to learn, heal and develop. The building will take shape next to the school’s current location on the John Tarleton campus in the heart of Knoxville.
“Eighty percent of students who get recovery services and then go back to their home high school will relapse. This is why the Elevate program is so important for students to have a place to learn, thrive and recover while staying on schedule to graduate,” said Mary Katsikas, Executive Vice President of the McNabb Center.
The program focuses on a holistic approach to meet the needs of youth who struggle with co-occurring disorders. Knox County School educators teach academic credit recovery courses allowing students to stay on schedule to graduate while McNabb Center clinicians and staff provide intensive outpatient care, therapy, case management and relapse prevention skills.
Alongside 63 guests, those in attendance were Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Sharon Shanks of Knox County Community Service Division, Knox County Senior Director of Grants Jenny Holden, and representatives from Truist Bank and Choice Data Foundation.
The Elevate Recovery Program expansion has been made possible through the Elevate Recovery High School Capital Campaign, which raised 9.25 million—the largest fundraising campaign in the Center’s 77-year history.
“This day would not be possible without the funding from the Knox County government, the Haslam Family Foundation, Thomas Boyd and The Boyd Foundation, Inc., Home Federal Bank, Adam Brock, the Clayton Family Foundation and so many more generous donors,” remarked Mona Blanton-Kitts.
The McNabb Center is the region’s leading nonprofit provider of mental health, substance use, social and victim services. We provide a quality and compassionate approach to care from infancy through adulthood. Since 1948, the Center has proudly served individuals with the most needs and fewest resources. Today, the McNabb Center delivers support to more than 52,000 people throughout East Tennessee each year. For more information, visit www.mcnabbcenter.org or call 1-800-255-9711.
