The City of Greenbelt recently announced new support groups for addictive and compulsive behaviors of all kinds through a program called SMART, which stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training.

SMART meetings are sponsored by the city, housed in the Municipal Building and led by Teresa Smithson, an MSW therapist employed by Greenbelt’s CARES counseling program for over 20 years.

SMART is…

• Based on science, so it employs the technique proven most effective in treatment of addictions, which is Cognitive Behavior Therapy. (Greenbelt CARES is also based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy and has been since its founding in the ’70s.)
• A self-empowerment program of abstinence that teaches participants to take charge of their own recovery.
• Support groups led by trained facilitators (in Greenbelt’s case, an experienced licensed therapist).
• Free.

SMART is an alternative to 12-Step Programs in that…

• It’s secular, not taking a position on a higher power or prayer.
• Meetings aren’t segregated by alcoholic/addict/gambler, etc. People with any addiction or compulsive behavior problem meet together to learn skills that apply universally.
• Cross-talk is encouraged. Thus, SMART meetings have more in common with group therapy sessions than AA or other 12-Step meetings, which don’t allow participants to interact with each other during meetings.

I asked Teresa Smithson what prompted the city to provide this new treatment option and learned that it was in response to the growing epidemic of opiate addiction that’s making headlines nationally. Greenbelt has seen several tragic examples of the epidemic recently, particularly among young adults, which led to the city’s commitment to increase treatment options locally. In addition to starting SMART Recovery meetings, CARES advocated for the new Families Anonymous Group that started recently at the Greenbelt Step Club. That group helps families affected by drugs, alcohol and behavior problems.

Greenbelt’s SMART meetings are held on the 1st Floor of the Municipal building on Monday nights from 7:15 to 8:30. Attendance at the first three meetings was low but that’s expected to change, as the meeting is being promoted widely – to schools, clergy, probation officers, Hope House, the University of Maryland, and elsewhere.

RESOURCES

• In addition to the Greenbelt meeting, there are about 16 other weekly meetings in the DC area. They’re found on the Capital SMART directory.
• Many more online meetings are available.
• On Youtube SMART has 43 helpful videos.
• Podcasts, too – there are dozens of talks here, or better, accessed by searching for “smart recovery” in your regular podcast app.
• A workbook for recovery and self-empowerment is available at any SMART meeting for $10.