WEBINAR Methamphetamine and Mutual Support Presented by Dr Alison Beck Methamphetamine and mutual support: A mixed methods exploration of SMART Recovery participants’ characteristics and opportunities for enhanced referral pathways Dr Alison Beck is a Clinical Psychologist & Trial Coordinator at the University of Wollongong.

WEBINAR The role of peer support in treatment The role of peer support in treatment: The latest on research and practice Watch Associate Professor Victoria Manning, Head of the Research and Workforce Development unit at Turning Point, and Associate Professor in Addiction Studies at Monash University and Crystal Clancy, CoordinatorPeer Projects, Self Help Addiction Resource…

Mutual support groups are a popular treatment for substance use and other addictive behaviours. However, little is known about the cultural utility of these programmes for Indigenous peoples. In this paper Liz Dale describes the use of a three-round Delphi study, utilising Indigenous research yarning methods that was conducted to: (1) Obtain expert opinion regarding the cultural utility of an Indigenous SMART Recovery handbook; (2) Gain consensus on areas within the SMART Recovery programme that require cultural modification and; (3) Seek advice on how modifications could be implemented in future programme design and delivery.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures have made in-person mutual help groups inaccessible to many individuals struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs).The community of Douglas Country, Kansas, USA, responded to the pandemic by developing a one on one phone in service (SMARTline) for people with SUDs and addiction. In this paper they share their experience of training SMART Recovery volunteers to facilitate SMART Recovery groups and SMARTline.

Dr Peter Kelly presents an overview of the research that is being conducted examining SMART Recovery.

Ms Elizabeth Dale recently gave a presentation titled: “A multi methods yarn about SMART Recovery: First insights from Australian Aboriginal facilitators and group members”. This presentation provides an overview of Ms Dale’s current doctoral studies and was completed as part of the 2020 Symposium Series for the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Health + Alcohol.

Dr Sarah Zemore has been successful in securing funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to examine the benefits and mechanisms of mutual health alternatives for alcohol use disorders. This highly competitive grant helps to extend Dr Zemore’s previous work (HYPERLINK JSAT article) examining the longitudinal benefits of mutual aid for people living with alcohol use disorders.

Dr Alison Beck led the first comprehensive review of the scientific evidence examining SMART Recovery. This systematic review was published in 2017 and provides a valuable description of the research that has examined SMART Recovery.

In 1990 when Dr Joe Gerstein, Founding President of SMART Recovery, started his first SMART meeting out of a basement in Memorial Hall at Harvard University he never planned to get so involved. Rather, he was only looking for a way to increase the availability of the program for his patients who wanted an alternative to 12 step programs.

Becoming a facilitator is just the start. There are catch up’s with other facilitators, opportunities for further training, newsletters with the latest science and podcasts.