Bringing Science and Reason to Self-help with Addictive Behaviors Volume 22, Issue 4 • October 2016 A. Thomas Horvath, PhD, President Christi Farmer, Assistant-Executive Director That organization was Artists Helping helped me so much in my own recovery! Inspirations the Homeless (AHH). AHH is a small But I only had a passing knowledge of organization started by Kar Woo, a those tools. When I began studying former art gallery owner, to provide SMART, it all became much more resources for the homeless as well for focused in my mind, easier to grasp, and the organizations that deal with the I could easily see how it would work for homeless, such as hospitals, police, others. I was hooked! and shelters. Their work has been so Realizing that there was an opportu- extensive that it’s been estimated that nity to start SMART Recovery at the they have saved the city about $10 treatment facility, I first got trained as a million in services since they started, and facilitator. Then I pitched the idea to Woo was recently named by the Kansas I admit it, I’m a lucky guy! the administration, and they liked it so City Star as one of its “Citizens of 2015” by Phil Rogers much that we started a weekly meeting finalists. almost immediately! The clients love About 14 years ago, I was offered the the concept, and while there is a regular chance to bring a recovery meeting into turnover of participants due to it being a one of the best treatment facilities in closed meeting, the seeds are being Inside: the KC area. My experience (and also Inspirations planted for them to seek out SMART the facility’s) had been with 12-step I admit it, I’m a lucky guy! .........................1 after discharge. ® meetings, so I led a meeting. Eventually 4-Point Program ................................1 Not long after that, I received a Check-out SMART Recovery’s new there were meetings with a different Family & Friends Facebook page at:.................3 phone call from a young woman who leader each night. People Power had been an intern at the treatment Then I started hearing about Evidence Founding SMART board member center but was now working at a social fondly remembered by many .......................3 Based Treatment, and started researching services agency. She said she knew of an SMART Recovery Online (SROL) community all of the various recovery programs that suffers loss of long-time volunteer ...................4 organization that could really use a were available; that is what led me to Fundraising Alert.................................4 regular SMART Recovery meeting, and SMART Recovery. What I soon realized, Recovery Month T-shirts .........................4 asked if I was interested. I told you, I’m a was that it was actually the tools and SMART Ideas lucky guy! Weekly volunteer support .........................5 principles of SMART Recovery that had Exciting adventures...............................5 SMART Recovery® Tools & Techniques ............6 Happy birthday to the online meeting on Sexual The SMART Recovery The program offers specific tools and Maladaptive Behaviors! ...........................6 ® SMART Progress 4-Point Program techniques for each of the program points: What does happiness have to do with recovery? ......7 Regional Coordinator information..................8 ® Point #1: Building and Maintaining he SMART Recovery SMART special events updates ....................9 (Self-Management And Motivation President’s Letter Recovery Training) T Point #2: Coping with Urges What is self-empowerment?.......................10 program helps individuals Book Review gain independence from Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary Point #3: Managing Thoughts, Feelings, addictive behavior. New Way of Understanding Addiction.............12 and Behaviors Our efforts are based on International Development scientific knowledge and evolve Point #4: Living a Balanced Life SMART Recovery Alberta update.................15 as scientific knowledge evolves. Inspirations Continued I was connected to the house manager midtown where they will house at-risk as a facilitator so that they can take at Bodhi House, a residence operated by men for an extended period of time. over, allowing me to look for other AHH. Bodhi House is located in mid- When the project receives all the proper opportunities! (I’ve already been asked town Kansas City, and offers temporary approval, SMART will be there as well, to start a group in the northern Kansas shelter and support for up to nine adult providing some more tools to help them City area!) men so that they don’t fall through the live the lives that they envision. So, how do I feel with all this cracks once they get out of jail or detox. In the meantime, a church facility potential in front of me to try and As Woo likes to say, AHH is “the safety (CSL-Crossroads) located in a suburb help others? Like I said, I’m a really net for the safety nets”. So far, Bodhi had also heard about SMART Recovery, lucky guy! has housed about 140 different men, and wanted to offer a meeting as Below is a picture of Kar Woo and and provides more than just housing; community outreach. So after some some of the guys from Bodhi House, at education, employment, and community initial promotion, we were able to start a their shoe and clothing giveaway for service are all emphasized. They now new open meeting there in July, with the homeless, at Mill Creek Park. also have weekly SMART Recovery attendance starting at 7-10 each week. meetings to help out, and I’m told every And best of all, at each one of these week how much they look forward to it! meeting locations, people have That’s because most of these men expressed an interest in getting trained have tried recovery with 12-step meetings but have not had continued success. Most of them, when they hear about the tools of SMART and how they work, can all of a sudden sense a glimmer of hope again! They can feel that they have finally found something that, with work, will help them change their addictive behaviors. Many of these men are finding a huge reward for them- selves in the SMART program, along with all the other guidance provided by AHH. As for me, I am ALWAYS getting a huge reward whenever I visit the guys at Bodhi and see their enthusiasm sparked! And since the Bodhi meeting is an open meeting, the guys there also have the chance to spread the word through all of AHH’s other efforts and invite others to join in! The next step for AHH (and SMART) will be a 40 bed facility that Woo is working on called Finnegan Place, which is an apartment complex in Published by the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Self-Help Network, Inc. dba SMART Recovery® 7304 Mentor Avenue, Suite F, Mentor, OH 44060 • Phone: 440/951-5357 • Fax: 440/951-5358 • E-mail: [email protected] • www.smartrecovery.org SMART Recovery® News & Views Volume 22, Issue 4 • October 2016 Page 2 Check-out SMART Recovery’s new Family & Friends Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SMARTFamilyandFriends/ credentials including a Master Personal Achievement. There he People Power Addictions Counselor (MAC), Licensed offered counseling based on REBT, Professional Counselor (LPC), and specializing in working with clients who completed courses as an Advanced were dealing with substance abuse issues. Hypnotherapist. He became interested He became intrigued with finding personally and professionally in Rational options to the 12-Step model, and his Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) explorations led him to a group of and completed training as an Associate like-minded professionals whom he Fellow and Supervisor at the Albert Ellis joined in becoming one of SMART’s Institute, New York City. As we know, founding board members. REBT plays an important role in Rich had a passion for seeing more SMART Recovery. smiles and laughs in the world. A few In 1996, after working in social years ago, he created business cards on Founding SMART board member services and college counseling offices which he declared that “2007 is the Year fondly remembered by many for several years, Rich decided to open of the Smile and the Laugh.” Each year his own private practice called The thereafter he created the same cards and SMART is saddened to report the Thought Exchange, LLC: Center for declarations for handing out to family, passing of Rich Dowling, who died on August 6th following a long battle with prostate cancer. He and his wife, Susan Akers, were married for 29 years and lived in Denville, NJ. After graduating from Bayley-Ellard High School, Rich obtained an associate’s degree at County College of Morris, and a bachelor’s degree from Ramapo College of NJ. He continued his education with a master’s degree in counseling from Montclair State University. He then pursued additional SMART Recovery Online (SROL) community suffers loss of long-time volunteer Published by the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Self-Help Network, Inc. dba SMART Recovery® 7304 Mentor Avenue, Suite F, Mentor, OH 44060 • Phone: 440/951-5357 • Fax: 440/951-5358 • E-mail: [email protected] • www.smartrecovery.org SMART Recovery® News & Views Volume 22, Issue 4 • October 2016 Page 3 People Power Continued friends, and strangers. For this practice, he became known locally as the “smile FUNDRAISING ALERT guy” and was continually delighted with the universal results of presenting those 1. Are you planning to make a cash gift to SMART? cards. His premise to the end was that a 2. Do you have common stock you have owned over one year on smile is a smile in any language and which you have a gain? always good medicine. Rich (standing on left in 1994 Board If you answered “yes” to both of the above questions then consider transferring shares of photo) and his contributions to founding stock directly to our new brokerage account.