VolunteerCONNECTION

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Subject: VolunteerCONNECTION - July 2022

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A Story of Connection

From Bike Week to SMART Recovery

For several years Bernie Quartaroli, SMART Recovery volunteer and Local Coordinator in Warwick, Rhode Island, had a vision of bringing a SMART Recovery meeting to the Annual Laconia Bike Week in Laconia, New Hampshire. Thanks to advancements in our technology, we were able to make his vision a reality this year and we are so glad we did! This pop-up meeting was held on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at Navigating Recovery of the Lakes Region and although there were just four attendees, including himself, Bernie considered the meeting a success.

Joyce Fulweiler, another of our SMART volunteers, who runs a Family & Friends meeting at Navigating Recovery came in after hours to open the room for Bernie and decided to stay for the meeting. She stated, “It was a wonderful, educational experience to connect with Bernie and the other folks present” and went on to tell us that because of this connection she was inspired to start a 4-point SMART Recovery meeting in the future. She even told Bernie “Don’t be surprised if I zoom into your meeting from time to time. I can learn so much from you.”

Not only did Bernie make a connection with Joyce, but he was also able to meet an active 2-year attendee of his Zoom meeting who vacations in the area. Also with them was an old friend of Bernie’s that made the 3-hour trip with him to learn more about what he does. All that were present were delighted that Dr. Joe Gerstein’s Hierarchy of Values tool was presented after the opening statement, general information, and check-ins were completed. The lives that were touched through these connections are sure to create a ripple effect that will impact many lives. We are fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers who think outside of the box to help make SMART Recovery known everywhere. Thank you for everything you do!

Announcements & Reminders

Upcoming Continuing Education Classes

If you are looking to brush up on your Motivational Interviewing skills, we have you covered!

Our Motivational Interviewing Refresher will be held on Saturday, July 16, 2022, from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET.

Class size is limited to 30 people.

Registration closes July 13^th at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Mark your calendar for the Facilitating a SMART Meeting for Teens on Monday, August 15th from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET. Information on registration will be sent later this month.

Update Your SMART Affiliate Social Media Account Information

The Marketing Team is the process of updating our affiliates' social media account information. We want to ensure that everyone is on the same page with branding, messaging, and content.

If you manage a SMART Affiliate Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or other social media account, please complete this short form to update your records.

What the Research Tells Us

A new study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, confirms what you as a SMART volunteer probably already know: participating in self-help groups is good for your recovery. In this case, individuals who were in treatment that consistently attended support group meetings stuck with their program longer, leading to more success in living life beyond addiction. Keep up the good work!

Read the Article

Helpful Hints

Team Facilitation

SMART Recovery’s mission is to empower people to achieve independence from addiction problems with our science-based 4-Point Program. ® To achieve our mission we need to increase the number of meetings we have available. We recognize that increasing meetings is not just about starting new ones, but also keeping the meetings we have active. One way we can do this is through team facilitation. Over half of the meetings that ended in 2021 closed because the facilitator stepped back for reasons such as burnout, changing jobs, or moving. Many of them could have remained active by having more than one facilitator, a team approach.

We have shared some benefits of the team approach and some ideas on how you can build a team in the announcements section of VolunteerHQ. We encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas on this topic with others by submitting a comment on the post.

Read The Benefits of Team Facilitation

Contact Your SROL Liaison For Help

If you are an SROL volunteer, you can reach out to your volunteer position's liaison for support. Our volunteer liaisons are experienced volunteers who are members of Leadership Team. On Leadership Team, we have two Chat Co-Liaisons, two Message Board Co-Liaisons, two Facilitator Co-Liaisons, and one Meeting Helper Liaison. They can help you if you have any questions regarding volunteering for SROL or SMART Recovery policies and principles. If you need help getting in touch with your liaisons, please reach out to AdminKT@smartrecovery.org for assistance.

Volunteer Opportunities

Two Research Studies Need Participants

Learn More

Meetings of Interest for Volunteers

SMART Meeting Management (SMM) Meetings

If you are interested in furthering your meeting management skills or more smoothly handling challenges you might encounter while facilitating your meeting, this is the meeting for you!

The SMART Meeting Management (SMM) meetings are every:

Monday: 10:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday: 8:00 p.m. ET
Friday: 6:00 p.m. ET

(NOTE: Zoom links for these meetings are behind the VHQ login.)

SMART 4 Volunteers (S4V)

SMART 4 VOLUNTEERS (S4V) is a private SMART Recovery meeting for our volunteers. While volunteering, people need to take time to focus on themselves. We offer a place where you can focus on your own wellbeing and recovery, with the security of being supported by your peers. This meeting has a different purpose than the SMART Meeting Management (SMM) meetings. This group meets on Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. till 6:00 p.m. ET. and is facilitated by Jasper2016.

Q&A with Volunteer Support Staff

Please join us on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 12:00 p.m. ET, to meet with Volunteer Support Department members: Melina Gilbert, Volunteer Support Manager, Molly Princic, SROL Support Manager, and Tim Burton, Volunteer Support Specialist.

These registration required Q&A sessions, are a way for you to meet members of SMART Recovery’s Volunteer Support Department to ask questions and share feedback about all things SMART.

Space is limited to the first 30 people. Information about registering is sent by email each month.

Training Roleplay Meetings

FAST Forward: GET SMART FAST "training" meetings are held twice a month. While these meetings are primarily for those who are currently in training or who have recently completed training, we welcome all facilitators to come and be part of them.

The meetings are divided into two parts, starting out with "SMART Recovery in Action", being an interactive role-play where a scenario is presented for discussion and participants apply SMART Recovery tools. The focus of the role-play is on how you'll utilize the SMART tools and apply what you’ve learned to help and support the person presenting the issue.

After the role-play exercise, the remaining portion of the meeting will focus on "Leading an Authoritative SMART Recovery Meeting", being an open discussion and Q&A session where we'll discuss and address any questions and concerns you may have in moving forward with your SMART meeting plans.

The meetings are held on the first Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. ET and the third Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET each month. To join us in a meeting, at the scheduled date and time please go to https://smartrecovery.zoom.us/j/763627333.

Join the Zoom Meeting

Volunteer Recognition

SMART knows that it's our volunteers that create the biggest impact in the lives of those we serve, and we wanted a way to recognize the work you do. Started during Volunteer Month, we will continue to feature several of the volunteers you recognized through the Volunteer Recognition Program.

Matt Hunt (Mattahundt) - SROL Facilitator

Mattahundt seems to operate on a no person left behind mentality. He pays special care to the sensitive comments that may be left behind and steers them in a helpful direction. This special consideration and care is evident in all he does for SMART and I would like to recognize his efforts. Thank you!

Submit Your Group Donations
to SMART Recovery

Your group donations to SMART Recovery help empower millions worldwide with tools to recover from any substance or activity addiction.

SMART Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Submit Your Group Donation

SMART Recovery is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

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Subject: VolunteerCONNECTION - July 2022