SMART Recovery San Diego Needs YOU

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Volunteer Match Listing 7

SMART Recovery San Diego Needs YOU

Why SMART Recovery San Diego needs YOU.

As a non-profit organization, SMART Recovery San Diego depends on volunteers to function. We

offer over 40 weekly local meetings made possible through the enthusiasm, energy, and generosity

of our volunteer facilitators. Still, we are not able to meet the needs of all San Diegans who might

benefit from SMART Recovery meetings.

Diverse facilitators and meeting styles allow participants to find what works best for them. We are

proud of the welcoming, supportive, non-judgmental community we have created in San Diego. We

continue to work to make SMART Recovery even more available to a broader community. Contributing your time (about 1.5 - 2 hours per week) and energy by running a meeting can make a difference in people’s lives.

Many volunteers find that hosting SMART meetings is a fantastic way to maintain motivation in their own lives, expand their social networks, and live a more balanced life. With a short training process and a mentor from the SMART Recovery San Diego community, you can begin facilitating your own weekly meetings.

What does a facilitator do exactly?

SMART Recovery meetings bring people together to address their addictive problems and make

positive changes in their lives. A facilitator helps create a safe and non-judgmental environment for

discussion and keeps the meeting running smoothly. You don’t need to be an expert on SMART

Recovery to become a facilitator.

New facilitators use scripts to help them run their meetings. Each script covers a topic related to

SMART Recovery and provides a series of questions to spark conversation, but that’s just a starting

point. It’s okay for participants to discuss whatever is on their minds as long as the discussion stays

focused on positive change.

As you grow as a facilitator and move through the training process, you will be given more flexibility

in shaping your meeting and making it truly your own. But many facilitators like the structure

provided by a topic script and stick with it.

Your primary role is to set the tone of the meeting. Be welcoming and engaged; clearly

communicate meeting expectations. A good facilitator lets participants interact with one another.

You are not there to talk at length, give advice, or tell your personal story.

What are the requirements?

Being a facilitator is a commitment and comes with certain responsibilities. Before you get started,

decide whether you can do the following for at least six months.

• Respect each individual and their choices.
• Complete the training, including reading the appropriate documents, attending meetings,

and communicating with your mentor.

• Hold your meeting at the same day and time for at least six months.
• Be intoxicant-free while facilitating.
• Be willing to speak, read aloud in front of others, and follow conversation in English or

Spanish.

• Review and adhere to SMART’s fundamental ideas

[ https://www.smartrecovery.org/about-us/ ] and Principles & Positions

[ https://www.smartrecovery.org/principles-positions/ ].

• Manage your time. Start meetings on time, end on time, and make sure everyone has a

chance to speak.

• Read the meeting scripts provided on the SMART Recovery San Diego website as written.
• Respond in a timely manner to inquiries from SMART Recovery San Diego.
• Solicit and turn in donations.
• Arrange a substitute when needed.

For online meetings:

• Have dependable access to the Internet and a computer, laptop or tablet.
• Be willing to use Zoom, or learn how to.

What is the training process?

Training starts with learning about SMART Recovery through reading and attending meetings.

While listed separately, these can be done simultaneously and can take as little as 5-6 hours if you have never attended a meeting before. After you are more familiar with SMART Recovery, contact us [ training@smartrecoverysd.org ] to get matched with a mentor who will help you learn about meeting management.

• Attend a minimum of three SMART Recovery San Diego meetings (online or in-person) run

by different facilitators to experience a range of meeting types and styles of facilitation. You

can find all our meetings on the calendar. [ https://smartrecoverysd.org/meetings/ ]

• Familiarize yourself with the Primary Meeting Script and the Topic Scripts found in the

Facilitator Resources on our website.

• Learn more about SMART Recovery. This process will continue after you start facilitating

your own meeting. Here are some resources:

• The SMART Recovery Handbook [ https://shop.smartrecovery.org ]
• Facilitator resources on SMART Recovery San Diego website

[ https://smartrecoverysd.org/become-a-facilitator/#facilitator-resources ]

• The SMART Recovery national website

[ https://www.smartrecovery.org/smart-recovery-toolbox/ ]

• Using Zoom for meetings [ https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697 ]

• Contact the Facilitator Training Committee [ training@smartrecoverysd.org ] to be added to

the Google group and matched with a mentor. If you’ve already connected with a mentor, let

them know.

Once You Have a Mentor (1.5-2 hours per week):

• Attend your mentor’s meeting regularly.
• Meet with your mentor following each meeting for a brief review. Continue to meet for

feedback and suggestions throughout your training.

• When you are ready, facilitate your mentor’s meeting using the Primary Script and a Topic

Script. Your mentor will be there for support.

• Continue facilitating your mentor’s meeting until you and your mentor agree that you are

ready to have your own meeting.

• Establish your own meeting

• Email your meeting reports each week and stay in touch with your mentor.

Making a difference

While we ask for a commitment of at least six months, some people find it so rewarding that they continue facilitating for years. Many point to their weekly meetings as a vital part of making positive change in their own lives. They like that they continue to learn about the SMART approach and ways to address their unhelpful behaviors and thoughts. They enjoy the connections they’ve made and being part of a community. As you grow as a facilitator, we hope that you experience these benefits too.