SMART Recovery International

SMART Recovery International

SMART Recovery is a global community of 3000 mutual-support groups in which participants meet weekly to help each other overcome the life challenges caused by any addiction.

Mission statement

As addiction has grown into a global epidemic, SMART Recovery has expanded into 23 countries.  SMART Recovery International (SRI) was formed to provide worldwide oversight and support to SMART operations in member countries whilst ensuring the integrity of the SMART program as we continue to expand. 

Our mission is to make SMART Recovery available to people of every culture and in any country who want freedom from addiction using the power within themselves and support from a caring global community. To ensure that the SMART program always combines the best science and experience of recovery through training, instruction and technology, wherever we hold meetings, be they online, in cities, villages or rural communities.

Summary of relevant work

SMART Recovery (Self Management And Recovery Training) is an international community focused on helping its participants learn about and practice a self-empowering approach for addressing addiction. Participants address addiction by reducing or stopping involvement with the substances and/or activities of concern to the participant. The ultimate goal, even if never attained, is to gain independence from problematic addictive behavior. Options for how to change are organized under the SMART Recovery 4-Point Program:

  1. Building and Maintaining Motivation
  2. Coping with Urges
  3. Managing Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors
  4. Living a Balanced Life

SMART uses a self-empowering approach. Regardless of how addiction arose, participants are supported in creating and implementing solutions that are agreeable to them and realistic in their circumstances. These solutions involve making changes in the participant’s own beliefs and behaviors, although these changes are often in service of modifying the environment. The change methods included under the 4-Point Program lie at the intersection of what is supported in the scientific literature, what is self-empowering, and what can be meaningfully discussed in mutual support meetings led by non-professional volunteers. SMART updates these methods as the scientific literature evolves.

SMART is not just a set of methods for change, but also a community of caring individuals intending to have a positive impact on one another. Each meeting is a small community, and meetings exist within larger local, regional, and online communities. Participants learn about the self-empowering approach together and demonstrate to one another how to put it into practice. For many participants their sense of community will be as important or more important than specific methods they learn.

In addition to meetings SMART offers:

  • Publications
  • Internet-based activities
  • Training
  • Conferences
  • Social activities
  • Specialized meetings

Seeking collaboration with

Experts by experience/service users
Other organizations
Policy makers
Researchers

Details

Approach(es)
Empowerment and service user involvement
Human rights
Prevention and promotion
Training, education and capacity building
Treatment, care and rehabilitation
Disorder(s)
Alcohol/drug use disorders
Region(s)
Africa
Asia
Central America and the Caribbean
Europe
Middle East
North America
Oceania
South America
Population(s)
Adults
Children and adolescents
Communicable diseases (e.g. HIV/AIDS, TB)
Families and carers
Minority populations
Non-communicable diseases (e.g. cancer, diabetes, stroke)
Older adults
Setting(s)
Community
Primary care