SMART Recovery® Podcast

DeeAnna Nichols is a Certified Peer Support Specialist at ChangePoint Behavioral Health in Lewiston Idaho. Her recovery journey changed significantly when she discovered SMART in 2015. After trying to attend a SMART meeting and finding no one there that day, DeeAnna decided to take the training to become a facilitator. In effect, she took charge of her own recovery by taking action and hasn't looked back since. DeeAnna now provides support and shares her lived experience with others seeking help. After a lifetime of challenging circumstances and trauma of all kinds, DeeAnna has embraced the fact that by changing her thinking, she can change her behavior.

Michael Marcum is a licensed professional counselor at the VA, and a former Army sniper. By his own admission he changed "countries, continents, and careers" to try and escape the reality of his substance misuse which plagued him for decades. After multiple stints in rehab and other pathways to recovery, he found SMART and it transformed his life. In this podcast Michael shares his recovery journey and explains why the practical tools and future orientation of SMART finally allowed him to choose a different kind of life.

The Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) is a statewide nonprofit agency that focuses on connection between people in recovery and the wider world. By sharing their lived experience, USARA staff educates, advocates, and inspires individuals and communities to live more hopeful lives. In this podcast, USARA's Executive Director Mary Jo McMillen and Associate Director Evan Done talk about the agency's growth and development over time, their personal recovery journeys, and why Utah is a great place to recover.

The Minnesota Recovery Options Act has recently been introduced as a means to require courts to provide a secular alternative for individuals ordered to participate in substance use treatment and as a way to provide information and resources to counselors about secular recovery. Alison Gill is Vice President, Legal and Policy, for American Atheists, one of the organizations involved in the effort to get the bill passed in Minnesota (disclosure: SMART Recovery is also part of the coalition supporting the bill). In this conversation, she talks about the issues involved in advocating for individuals who object to religious-themed recovery treatment, why alternatives are a good thing for society at large, and how this specific bill can act as a nationwide model. Link to Minnesota bill summary and text Related court case: American Atheists Wins in West Virginia Religious Coercion Lawsuit

Compassion fatigue is real. It refers to circumstances where caregivers, professional or volunteer, become mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted and start to wear down. It can produce a downward spiral and lead to individual caregivers leaving the work that still means so much to them. Fortunately, there are organizations who are trying to help the helpers avoid burnout, and one of those is CAPSA. Headquartered in Ottowa, Ontario, they offer all kinds of training and consulting on health related topics, offering courses such as Compassionate Care: Staying Well While Helping Others. In this podcast we discuss compassion fatigue, substance use health, the danger of expectations, stigma, and more with Shawn Fisk, an educator and partnership lead with CAPSA. Shawn shares some of his personal story and belief in the possibilities of strong connections with others in mutually supportive relationships.

Including lived experience in a recovery ecosystem often adds an effective dimension of support for those trying to make changes in their lives. The field of peer recovery coaching has been growing nationwide and many states now offer certification programs. In Utah, the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) employs a network of peer coaches that work closely with individuals who are seeking recovery. In this podcast, we are joined by two USARA peer coaches, Elizabeth Myers and Kelsey Pierce, who share their lived experience and love of helping others with us. Special note: SMART looks forward to meeting USARA representatives in April when we hold our 30th anniversary conference in Salt Lake City. More information can be found HERE.

Billy Hoffman works with compulsive gamblers as a certfied counselor. His lived experience and clinical skills combine to provide hope for those who have reached a critical point in their negative spiral of financial and emotional consequences. In this podcast Billy points out that despite compulsive gambling being recognized as problem for decades, there is still a relative lack of resources for those who are trying to get help. The recent meteroric rise in legal sports betting has only compounded the issues involved. Here are links to potential resources: APA article on inclusion of problem gambling in DSM-III Dr. Valerie Lorenz's book Compulsive Gambling Arnie Wexler's book All Bets Are Off University of Maryland resources for problem gambling International Problem Gambling Center

SMART Recovery is based on cognitive tools rooted in addressing how we think and react to life circumstances. For therapist Bruce Burleson, combining the cognitive aspects of behavior management with staying present in the moment is a recipe for successful treatment of addictions and compulsive behaviors. He calls his approach Mindfulness-Based Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, and he authored a workbook all about it. Burleson has worked in a variety of mental health and recovery settings in the course of his more than 25 years in the field. In this podcast he explains how he helps clients address their issues and chart their own path to recovery.

Jan Folk was a high powered businesswoman for years, battling sexism in the male-dominated insurance industry. At the same time she was struggling with alcohol-use disorder and kept ending up in crisis. After a couple of attempts to stop drinking she finally realized that the only way she was going to change her behavior was if she looked deep inside and made the decision for herself. That is when she learned about SMART and has embraced recovery. Jan decided to share her story by writing a memoir, Hell in High Heels: How I Conquered My Demons, about her life as a business owner, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She chronicles her childhood and rise to prominence, love of dogs, and shares a story about how one might possibly lose a private plane.

Keith Johnston is the Founder and Executive Director of Running2bwell, a nonprofit organization that helps those struggling with mental health and/or addiction issues become more physically and socially active. He decided to start the effort after a friend lost his son to heroin addiction and he wanted to try and contribute something positive to society. Keith turned to exercise, since it had always been helpful when he was attempting to manage his own meantal health and addictions, and now facilitates walking/running groups and SMART meetings. In this podcast, he talks about research that links exercise to greater mental clarity and many other benefits. He also shares his belief that not only do we all have issues of some kind, we all have a responsibility to contribute what we can to make the world a better place.

Jonathan Hunt-Glassman struggled with drinking too much for years, and tried many ways of changing his relationship to alcohol. But it wasn't until a doctor suggested he try medication that things got better. Based on his experience, he decided to start a company, Oar Health, which offers a way for individuals to investigate whether medication might be useful in their own recovery. In this podcast, Jonathan is joined by Oar Health's Chief Clinical Advisor Dr. Josh Lee, an addiction medicine specialist, researcher, and Professor of Population Health and Medicine at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Courtney Anderson insists on having plenty of fun in life. After she quit drinking, she wasn't quite sure what that really meant or how to make it happen. Now 11 years later, Courtney not only continues to have fun in life, she coaches others about how to make the most of their new sober lives. Courtney's website, https://www.courtneyrecovered.com/, includes links to all kinds of resources. In this podcast, Courtney shares how she ended her "toxic relationship with alcohol" and the key role her rescue cat played. She also talks about her new book and the great satisfaction she gets from hosting her own podcast, Sober Vibes.

September is National Recovery Month and we welcome Keegan Wicks to the podcast. Keegan is the National Advocacy and Outreach Manager for Faces & Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington D.C. Keegan has worked in the recovery field for 10 years as an advocate and counselor, and has been in long-term recovery since 2009. He works with policy makers and legislators at both state and federal levels and speaks regularly on recovery topics before a variety of organizations. In this podcast Keegan shares some of his personal story of recovery and what keeps him motivated to work in the field. He also introduces FAVOR's new partner organization, International Recovery Day, and shares the exciting global fireworks planned for September 30th.

Besides being SRUSA's Executive Director, Pete Rubinas is a SMART Family & Friends meeting facilitator. He says he reaps many benefits by joining with others to share experiences and work on developing positive responses to challenging circumstances. SMART Family and Friends meetings are available both in-person and online, and provide participants with the tools they need to effectively support their loved one, without supporting the addictive behavior. In this podcast Pete talks about the healing that takes place in meetings and the practice of self-compassion, pointing to the work of Dr. Kristin Neff as a great resource. For more information about SMART Family & Friends, visit here

Dr. Steven Proctor is the founder and principal consultant of PRO Health Group and a Senior Program Director for Thriving Mind South Florida. He is also a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who has studied and written about Contingency Management programs, most notably in his Annals of Medicine article, Rewarding recovery: the time is now for contingency management for opioid use disorder. Contingency Management, simply put, is rewarding people, often with money, for achieving their recovery goals. While much research indicates that well-structured and adequately funded Contingency Management programs are successful, barriers persist to widespread adoption. These barriers include outdated attitudes, along with ethical and economic concerns. In this podcast, Dr. Proctor illuminates the issues surrounding Contingency Management and advocates for increased utilization of this important treatment strategy.

Tammah Watts is a licensed therapist, certified outdoor guide, and SMART Recovery facilitator in San Diego. Her active lifestyle came to a screeching halt after an unexpected health condition left her homebound. Discouraged and in despair, one day she was surprised by a moving encounter with a small bird. Now she's written a wonderful book that shares lessons from the new direction her life took as a result of embracing the world of birdwatching. Tammah's book is titled, "Keep Looking Up, Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching." In this podcast she describes how paying attention to life in the skies can keep us firmly grounded in a positive life here on earth. For more information about Tammah and her new book, visit HERE

Dr. Allison Beck is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Clinical Psychologist based in the School of Psychology, University of Wollongong in Australia. Her recent work includes research on the effects of online SMART Recovery meetings during the pandemic in Australia. It turns out that many individuals got great benefits from participating, and the Australian government's financial support made a difference. In this podcast Alison talks about her love of research and belief that by finding things out, we can make things better. On a related note, Dr. Beck is involved in a new survey about SMART Recovery that is open to all those who have ever participated in a SMART Recovery meeting. Find out more HERE

Carolyn Straub moderates a thriving online community for those interested in SMART on the social media platform Reddit. She enjoys helping others engage around how much SMART's tools and resources help those seeking recovery from addiction. In this podcast, Carolyn also shares her personal journey of recovery, which she wrote about in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in the essay Mind On Fire.

The Greater Cleveland Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI GC) has spent years providing education and advocacy on behalf of individuals and families affected by mental health conditions. Increasingly, substance use disorders co-occur in many persons, making treatment more complex. In this podcast NAMI GC Executive Director Katie Jenkins and Hispanic Outreach and Education Coordinator Monica Olivera discuss their work to bring mental health issues to parity with other kinds of physical illnesses in terms of acceptance and treatment.

Killian Noe and Dr. Ruby Takushi co-founded the first Recovery Cafe in Seattle in 2004, envisioning a healing space for people who have experienced trauma like homelessness, substance use disorder, addiction and other mental health challenges. Today there are more than 60 cafes that work together as part of the Recovery Cafe Network across the U.S. and Canada. In this podcast Killian and Ruby describe the early days of their movement and how cafes have grown into places of authentic connection and transformed lives.