Subject: News & Views: February 2023

Turning Our Experiences Into Assistance

Podcast

Making My Story Useful

Mary Beth O'Connor went from running from the law as a methamphetamine abuser to handing down the law as a judge. Now twenty nine years in recovery, Mary Beth chronicles her incredible story in her new memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction.

In this episode, Mary Beth talks about her perspective on multiple pathways to recovery, her work for LifeRing Secular Recovery and She Recovers Foundation, why she claims "Junkie" as part of her identity, and the ultimate beauty of serving those in recovery.

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Podcast

Sticking Together Means We Grow

Newly minted SMART Recovery facilitator Tracy Gryp and her mentor Rick Kuplinski share their personal SMART journey and how they created better lives for themselves through the program. In the spirit of paying it forward, they now work together to bring the best support group meetings possible to their meeting participants.

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Reflection

Effective Recovery For All

SMART grant writer Kenya Welch offers a powerful reflection and call to action on the immense and far-reaching impact of substance use disorders on communities of color, especially Black communities.

While the current overdose epidemic has been framed as a public health crisis, it has deeper, less sympathetic roots for Black Americans who were categorically criminalized during the “War on Drugs.” While attention to the crisis has focused primarily on White suburban and rural communities, communities of color, and especially Black communities, have experienced dramatic increases in substance use disorders and overdose deaths.

Profile

Seizing Opportunities To Shine

Markita Renee is thriving. Now four-plus years in recovery, she runs OOAK Services LLC where she is a recovery coach, motivational speaker, and facilitator. In addition to that, Markita works part-time as an employment specialist for the state of Connecticut’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, facilitates two SMART Recovery meetings, and loves being a great mom to her daughter Si’miaya. And how all of this came together still amazes her...

Profile

Mentoring Was The Gift He Didn't Know He Wanted

Aaron Adkins loves everything about being in recovery. He lists the support he gets from his SMART Recovery peers, the practical tools he uses to address negative thinking, the understanding and insight he gains from being a meeting facilitator, and, perhaps most especially, being able to give back as a mentor to other facilitators. “It’s been a wonderful way for me to understand how I do what I do…being able to teach something just kind of takes me to the next level.”

Worth Checking Out!

Recovery Cafes and the Recovery Cafe Network

Recovery Cafés are healing recovery communities, embodying what it looks like when we live like we belong to each other. Recovery Cafés support multiple pathways of recovery, are guided by trauma-informed principles, and recognize long-term recovery requires long-term support and authentic connection. The first Café launched in Seattle in 2003. There are now 57 Cafés across the country and in Canada, welcoming people into communities of belonging and becoming.

The Recovery Café Network provides training, mentoring, an online content library, and facilitated learning experiences to those launching new Cafés. The Recovery Café model is membership-based and practices radical hospitality and loving accountability.

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