Free addiction support service now available online
From this week, the South West Community Alcohol and Drug Service (SWCADS) will be facilitating a free online addiction support service using Self-Management Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery.
5 May 2020
SMART Recovery is a group program that helps clients address problematic behaviours, including addiction, using a variety of cognitive behaviour therapy and motivational tools and techniques. The meetings are led by trained facilitators and usually held in-person but have moved online in response to the physical distancing measures put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are open to people aged 18 years and over.
SWCADS Alcohol and other Drug Counsellor, Emma Jones, said the team had been facilitating SMART sessions for the past three years and supported people with all kinds of addictions.
“SMART Recovery meetings are open to people managing any type of addictive behaviour, but we predominantly see people battling with alcohol and other drug addictions,” Emma said.
Emma said that moving online will enable the service to continue providing much needed assistance and support during a very challenging time for many people within our community.
“The main thing I hope participants will take away from these meetings is a feeling of safety, security and most importantly, connection. Connection is the opposite to addiction,” Emma said.
“Our aim is to help people set small incremental goals from week-to-week which, added together, help them make significant changes to their lifestyle.”
Meetings are conducted for 90 minutes via video conference and participants can decide what level of disclosure they are comfortable with. They also have the option to connect with audio only and no video.
SMART Recovery online meetings will run once a week on Wednesdays with a maximum of ten people per session.
For more information and to register, visit SMART Recovery Australia.
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