Subject: News & Views: January 2023

Amplifying Voices in Recovery

Webinar Video

Removing Barriers, Creating Spaces

We're pleased to share this video recording from the Removing Barriers, Creating Spaces webinar held on January 24, 2023. The webinar focused on diversity and inclusion in recovery—including what it looks like and why it's important to create intentional recovery spaces for the BIPOC community. SMART Recovery has begun empowering BIPOC individuals to create such spaces by offering a BIPOC meeting tag in our SMARTfinder meeting locator.

Co-hosted by SMART Recovery and Students Recover, the panelists included: Markita Renee (Speaker, Facilitator, Recovery Coach), Lucrecia Benally (mental health clinician with Navajo Nation in NM), Geoffrey Vasile (Care Coordinator, Amplify Center), and Dr. Kristine De Jesus (Executive Director and Founder of Students Recover). Thanks to all of them for their insights and for taking the time to join us.

The event was moderated by Jas Hilbert of SMART Recovery. For additional information about this webinar or to learn about upcoming SMART Recovery events focused on diversity and inclusion, email information@smartrecovery.org

*Note: due to a technical issue, the recording started a few minutes after the webinar began.

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Podcast

What was Once Hidden is Now Exposed

Gee Matamoros' journey to recovery included some very dark passages. Now he travels a brighter road, and insists on enjoying life as much as possible. Fortunately for us, one of the things he enjoys most is spreading the word about SMART.

Gee has been instrumental in helping those in the Latinx recovery community, have the SMART tools, resources, and meetings, available in Spanish to help them on their journey.

In this podcast, Gee talks about walking the tight rope of his identity, how the COVID pandemic helped launch and grow the online Spanish meetings, plus more.

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Podcast

Is Addiction a Choice?

The question of an individual's ability to control a substance or behavioral addiction has been long-debated. More than 20 years ago Dr. Jeffrey Schaler made his stance clear in his book Addiction is a Choice.

Dr. Schaler remains steadfast in his conclusion that addiction is a behavior and behaviors are choices. The existential therapist and former professor at both American and Johns Hopkins Universities continues writing, speaking and advocating against the medicalization of addiction today, and makes his points with characteristic passion in this podcast.

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Podcast

It's All About Comfort and Confidence

As SMART's Director of Meetings and Volunteers, Melina Gilbert often gets to experience a volunteer meeting facilitator's passion for what they do, and that makes her feel very fortunate. To keep that energy moving, Melina and her team are currently working hard on helping facilitators grow their skills by making the Facilitator Mentoring Program bigger and better.

In this podcast, Melina talks about the purpose, benefits, and future of the Facilitator Mentoring Program, including how meeting specific challenges can increase a facilitator's comfort and confidence.

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