smart recovery self help addiction recovery
i have an appointment with this lot on the 22nd of this month and wonder if any of you had used this service before
taken from the site
ABOUT SMART RECOVERY
We help people recover from addictive behaviour and lead meaningful and satisfying lives.
Our approach is secular and science based; using motivational, behavioural and cognitive methods.
We run a network of self help meetings and also partner with care professionals.
OUR APPROACH
• Teaches self-empowerment and self-reliance.
• Provides meetings that are educational, supportive and focussed on open discussions.
• Supports the use of prescribed medications and psychological treatments where appropriate.
• Can be used to tackle any form of addictive behaviour, including drugs and alcohol, gambling
• Evolves as scientific knowledge in addiction recovery evolves.
http://www.smartrecovery.org.uk/
WHO ARE WE?
SMART began in 1994 in the United States. It has grown into a worldwide network of self-help meetings, both face-to-face and online, where participants can get help from others in recovery.
PARTICIPANTS
The most important people to our organisation are those who are trying to change their addictive behavior using our meetings and online resources. We also offer support to family members in the UK through our Family & Friends programme and meetings.
FACILITATORS
Because of the way SMART Recovery meetings work, there is a need for a Facilitator to keep things on track. Since the meetings are our core activity, these meeting Facilitators are key. Our Facilitators, both online and at face-to-face meetings are people who are in recovery themselves and are ‘giving back’ to help others who have the kinds of problems they have themselves overcome. They give their time freely as volunteers, undergo thorough training and follow our Facilitators code of conduct. We keep in touch with and consult with Facilitators through this website, online peer support meetings and through newsletters. A great deal of our work is making sure Facilitators have good materials, information and training to help them run good meetings.
BIG TEAM
This is a team of SMART Recovery volunteers and staff who gather bi-monthly and whose purpose is to review successes, less-than-successful endeavours, progress and setbacks, and to brainstorm/exchange ideas relevant to the organisation’s growth and wellbeing.
STAFF
We have a small team of paid staff who help keep SMART Recovery running and moving forwards.
Our Central Office, which handles all the administration of the organisation, is managed by Carol Hammond and assisted by Diana Mitchell. We also have three National Coordinators; Jardine Simpson in Scotland, Leigh Proctor in Wales and Steve Crawley in England. To contact staff, please see the ‘Contact UK SMART Recovery’ page.
UK SMART Recovery is not and will not become a treatment service provider and will not accept a contract within which UKSR recruits staff to actually facilitate meetings. This is an important principle that will protect the movement from losing its core strength in mutual aid. As the organisation grows, there may be a need to expand the paid staff team a little, but keep the focus of the movement as a whole on the traditions and strengths of volunteering.
TRUSTEES
Like all UK charities, we have a board of trustees – volunteers who oversee the running and direction of the charity and, through regular meetings, makes sure it stays within the law and has a strong future.
PARTNERS AND CHAMPIONS
UK SMART Recovery has a Partnership scheme with professional care and treatment services. This involves us training some of their staff as ‘SMART Recovery Champions’ so that they can kick start meetings within their services, introduce service users to SMART and encourage some to become Facilitators and start their own peer-led meetings in the community. Our relationship with partners is to offer training and license our programme and materials.
INTERNATIONAL PICTURE AND LEGAL STRUCTURE
SMART Recovery operates as a non-profit organisation in many countries including the United States, the UK, Canada and Australia. UK SMART Recovery is a registered charity which works closely with the not-for-profit organisation in the USA which ‘owns’ SMART Recovery. Legally speaking, the UK charity has an exclusive license (or legal permission) from the US to develop and promote SMART Recovery in this country. We work very closely with the US team and have cross representation between the boards.
Like most charities, we are also registered as a company limited by guarantee. This legal structure means we operate for the benefit of society and do not have shareholders, but the Board of Trustees and volunteers have some legal protection if something goes badly wrong.
The SMART Recovery movement has the support of a renowned International Board of Advisors which includes many of the most influential and important researchers and psychologists in the field of addictions.