Dear Friends of SMART Recovery USA,
I hope this message finds you well. 2023 has been a year of great progress for SMART, and much work remains. I’m writing today to update you about where we’re at on our journey, and to ask for your support in helping us continue on the path we’re on – at whatever level you’re able.
Of all the progress we’ve made, I’m most grateful for the work we’ve done to address our organization’s culture. This work has happened at every level of the organization – from our Board of Directors, to our small but mighty staff of 13, to our volunteer leaders, our volunteers, and our participants. We’ve engaged in a process of listening deeply to what folks have said about how SMART feels welcoming or not, and we’ve committed the time and resources to work on dismantling the barriers to participation that exist. Under the leadership of our Culture Change Coordinator, Jas Hilbert, our newly reconstituted Organizational Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is currently engaged in a 6-month process of strategic planning to build an actionable plan for how we will keep making progress on this important work we know must be done.
At this time last year, we were adjusting to life with several less employees because of a restructuring that was necessary from a financial sustainability perspective. Since then, we’ve worked hard to implement several improvements to our programs that were designed to both better meet the needs of those we serve, and to do so in a financially sustainable manner. For example, we consolidated our community onto one modern meeting platform for both online and in-person meetings, a change that made accessing meetings easier and reduced costs. We’ve also worked closely with SMART Recovery International and other SMART Recovery country affiliates around the world to develop a more streamlined website and a more interactive version of our app that are clearer for participants, and that can be more easily supported and updated as time goes on. Those systems will also be available to help support the launch of new affiliates more rapidly around the world in the future!
Finally, we’ve launched a bold new program to engage with the treatment and recovery community in a different way. Designed to drive engagement with SMART, our Multiple Pathways Partner program is an innovative approach to demonstrating the value that embracing multiple pathways like ours can have for organizations and the individuals they serve. It’s also a way to get those organizations to help us educate the public in their communities about what pathways like ours look like. The goal is a network of local Communities of Practice around the country supported by SMART Recovery that make multiple pathways a reality – not in place of any other pathway, but in addition to whatever is already offered.
Looking forward to the year ahead, we will continue to work on all three of the initiatives above while tackling a fourth big one – updating our handbooks and training so that they are current, representative of our entire community, easily accessible, and able to be updated more easily and cost-effectively as the science of human behavior change continues to evolve. We’ll also continue our ongoing work to support the launch of SMART Recovery Canada.
All of this work to build a stable and sustainable SMART Recovery would mean nothing if it weren’t for our dedicated volunteers who show up week in and week out for their meeting participants. We’ve been working hard to take care of our volunteers by significantly increasing the quantity and breadth of the support meetings available to them. We’ve also lowered the prices of our self-paced training offerings, and continued our practice of granting volunteer scholarships for training and attendance at our upcoming national conference. Thank you, volunteers, for your willingness to walk alongside other folks who are on a pathway to build a balanced life beyond addiction. You are all heroes.
Your contribution to our Year-End Appeal will allow us to continue to make tangible progress toward our goal of SMART Empowerment for All. Will you join me in making a contribution at whatever level you’re able today?
