SMART Recovery® Podcast

SMART believes there are multiple pathways to recovery...but does that go as far as including the use of intelligent retrieval technology, aka artificial intelligence? According to Zachary Gidwitz, CEO and Cofounder of the company Open Recovery, the answer is a resounding yes.  In this podcast, Zachary shares his personal recovery journey and how he ended up as part of a team that birthed Kai, the AI-powered recovery assistant that is now busy interacting with human individuals seeking recovery. At this point Kai is focused on 12-Step methodology, but Open Recovery is collaborating with SMART to provide information and resources to expand Kai's understanding that our self-empowered, practical recovery tools are a powerful pathway to change.        

Nick Padlo only went to the college recruiting event for the promise of free food at his favorite restaurant. It turned out that no food was served, but a 3 minute video that was shown ended up changing the course of his life. It was a US Army recruitment video and Nick went on to attend West Point, serve in combat overseas, and launch a business career from there. A good measure of success took place but other aspects of his life disinigrated. He ended up divorced and despondent, his accelerating substance and alcohol misuse part of the downward spiral. Eventually he decided he needed help and found a path that combined SMART Recovery and 12-Step programs. It transformed his view of his life's purpose and he decided to use his entrepreneurial skills to start Sophros Recovery a treatment center in his hometown of Jacksonville Florida. In this podcast, Nick talks about the quest for perfection that nearly ruined him, his application of recovery tools to the wider realm of mental health, and why he believes everyone can find their way back to health. 

Angelo Lagares is the Founder and Director of Latino Recovery Advocates (LARA), a nonprofit organization that works to make policy changes that will increase culturally appropriate recovery services. LARA's vision is of a world where no one suffers from language disparities when it comes to getting help.   Angelo's story includes lived experience and many attempts to change his addictive behavior. His journey convinced him that too often there is a lack of access to relevant treatment and support systems for individuals who want help. That is why he works all over the world, sharing the message of multiple pathways to recovery for all cultures.  In this podcast, Angelo talks about his personal recovery journey, deciding to embrace advocacy, the importance of cultural competency, and his belief that recovery is possible for all. Additional information: Video of Angelo's story SMART Recovery Espanol What does advocacy mean to LARA? 

Yamila Rollan Escalona is the founder of the nonprofit Yaya Por Vida, an organization that helps those struggling with substance use in southeast Florida. Yamila was motivated to start this effort after losing her sister Yaritza (Yaya) to addiction. Yaya was a very talented artist throughout her life and her love of the arts provided a natural path for Yamila to follow. Yaya Por Vida offers both healing through the arts and practical tools for harm reduction in a wide range of outreach initiatives and community collaborations. In this podcast Yamila talks about turning her rage against the senseless loss of life into a positive direction of hope, the joy that Yaya brought to others through her art, and why connecting with others is one of the most powerful forces to combat negative circumstances. Links: Harm Reduction 101 PSA video Art as Healing Harm Reduction Explainer Videos

Keegan Wicks brings both lived experience and professional expertise to his role as National Advocacy and Outreach Manager for Faces & Voices of Recovery (FAVOR) In his annual September visit to the podcast, Keegan talks about what is happening on a federal level in the area of recovery, opportunities to get invoved in the upcoming International Recovery Day, and why highlighting successful long-term recovery is important.   

Alex De Marco is no stranger to financial distress. Childhood experiences and ill-advised business ventures convinced him that financial education, as boring as that might sound, was a key component for a healthy relationship with money. Eventually he combined his computer software skills with a desire to help those who had run into difficulties with debt--including those caused by compulsive gambling. The result was the GamFin platform, a no-cost financial counseling service that focuses on solutions to problems caused by compulsive gambling. Alex is now eager to grow the platform and connect with more mental health providers in order to treat the individuals involved in a comprehensive way. In this podcast, Alex shares his vision of a recovery ecosystem where therapists and financial counselors work together to benefit both individuals and families, and how SMART Recovery fits right in.  Resources National Council on Problem Gambling Mayo Clinic Overview of Compulsive Gambling Gambling Addiction Books  

Maureen Greeley's journey to the head of the nationally recognized Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling (ECPG) included stops at the San Diego Zoo, a sanctuary for wolves, and communications work for the Washington State Lottery. This broad range of experience has informed her approach and deepened her ability to relate to a variety of individuals and communities.   In 2018, Greeley received the National Council on Problem Gambling's Lifetime Achievement Award for Advocacy for her dedication to improving the lives of individuals impacted by problem gambling and their families.  Under her leadership, in 2009 ECPG launched the annual Four Directions Conference that brings together representatives of Tribal Nations in the Pacific Northwest and many other communities each fall to focus on holistic health, wellness, and recovery support. In this podcast Maureen talks about her personal and professional journey, how problem gambling is growing, what building supportive communities can do to address all facets of recovery, and what participants can expect at this September's Four Directions Conference. 

Christopher Toomey is a SMART Facilitator in Gulfport Mississippi. After years spent in active addiction, he realized he needed to make changes. As a Navy Veteran, he decided to go to inpatient treatment at the VA, which is where he learned about some SMART tools. In this podcast Christopher talks about his journey to becoming a trained facilitator, the support he received from other participants, and the value he finds in SMART.

Jody Bechtold is the CEO of The Better Institute and an Internationally Certified Gambling Counselor.  She is co-author of the Gambling Disorder Treatment Handbook: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals, and she presents both nationally and internationally about education and treatment for problem gambling. In this podcast Jody points out that suicide and problem gambling are strongly linked, and with the rise in legalized sports betting the stakes have never been higher. Fortunately, more clinicians are focusing on helping those struggling with problem gambling, and there are practical tools that can help. 

David Nooks is a Peer Recovery Support Specialist at the Foundation for Recovery in Las Vegas. He is also a musician who believes in the healing power of rock & roll. After many years spent misusing substances and seeking escape David decided to embrace recovery. In this podcast David talks about his journey to recovery and how he became interested in helping others find their own pathway to a different kind of life. He tells the story of the founding of Recovery Band Camp and how it has grown and developed into a safe space that celebrates the joy of music and the power of mutual support.  

The term "wellness" is thrown around in the context of many different things, including in the world of recovey from substance and behavioral disorders.  It's meaning can be fuzzy and border on cliche. But when Randy Williams uses the word wellness he keeps it real.  Williams is Founder of Willmore Wellness, and his lived experience with addiction and belief in the interconnectedness between body, mind, and spirit combine to inform an approach to healthy living that takes the entire person into account. Together with his wife Wray, Randy offers strategies to obtain physical, social, and emotional health that includes living life to its fullest. In this podcast Randy talks about how SMART Recovery took his life to another level, his decision to pursue a degree in professional counseling, and how each of us needs to locate our own personal resilience and grit.    

DeeAnna Nichols is a Certified Peer Support Specialist at ChangePoint Behavioral Health in Lewiston Idaho. Her recovery journey changed significantly when she discovered SMART in 2015. After trying to attend a SMART meeting and finding no one there that day, DeeAnna decided to take the training to become a facilitator. In effect, she took charge of her own recovery by taking action and hasn't looked back since. DeeAnna now provides support and shares her lived experience with others seeking help. After a lifetime of challenging circumstances and trauma of all kinds, DeeAnna has embraced the fact that by changing her thinking, she can change her behavior. 

Michael Marcum is a licensed professional counselor at the VA, and a former Army sniper. By his own admission he changed "countries, continents, and careers" to try and escape the reality of his substance misuse which plagued him for decades. After multiple stints in rehab and other pathways to recovery, he found SMART and it transformed his life. In this podcast Michael shares his recovery journey and explains why the practical tools and future orientation of SMART finally allowed him to choose a different kind of life.

The Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) is a statewide nonprofit agency that focuses on connection between people in recovery and the wider world. By sharing their lived experience, USARA staff educates, advocates, and inspires individuals and communities to live more hopeful lives.  In this podcast, USARA's Executive Director Mary Jo McMillen and Associate Director Evan Done talk about the agency's growth and development over time, their personal recovery journeys, and why Utah is a great place to recover.  

The Minnesota Recovery Options Act has recently been introduced as a means to require courts to provide a secular alternative for individuals ordered to participate in substance use treatment and as a way to provide information and resources to counselors about secular recovery. Alison Gill is Vice President, Legal and Policy, for American Atheists, one of the organizations involved in the effort to get the bill passed in Minnesota (disclosure: SMART Recovery is also part of the coalition supporting the bill). In this conversation, she talks about the issues involved in advocating for individuals who object to religious-themed recovery treatment, why alternatives are a good thing for society at large, and how this specific bill can act as a nationwide model. Link to Minnesota bill summary and text Related court case: American Atheists Wins in West Virginia Religious Coercion Lawsuit

Compassion fatigue is real. It refers to circumstances where caregivers, professional or volunteer, become mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted and start to wear down. It can produce a downward spiral and lead to individual caregivers leaving the work that still means so much to them.   Fortunately, there are organizations who are trying to help the helpers avoid burnout, and one of those is CAPSA. Headquartered in Ottowa, Ontario, they offer all kinds of training and consulting on health related topics, offering courses such as Compassionate Care: Staying Well While Helping Others. In this podcast we discuss compassion fatigue, substance use health, the danger of expectations, stigma, and more with Shawn Fisk, an educator and partnership lead with CAPSA. Shawn shares some of his personal story and belief in the possibilities of strong connections with others in mutually supportive relationships.  

Including lived experience in a recovery ecosystem often adds an effective dimension of support for those trying to make changes in their lives. The field of peer recovery coaching has been growing nationwide and many states now offer certification programs. In Utah, the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) employs a network of peer coaches that work closely with individuals who are seeking recovery. In this podcast, we are joined by two USARA peer coaches, Elizabeth Myers and Kelsey Pierce, who share their lived experience and love of helping others with us. Special note: SMART looks forward to meeting USARA representatives in April when we hold our 30th anniversary conference in Salt Lake City. More information can be found HERE.

Billy Hoffman works with compulsive gamblers as a certfied counselor. His lived experience and clinical skills combine to provide hope for those who have reached a critical point in their negative spiral of financial and emotional consequences. In this podcast Billy points out that despite compulsive gambling being recognized as problem for decades, there is still a relative lack of resources for those who are trying to get help. The recent meteroric rise in legal sports betting has only compounded the issues involved. Here are links to potential resources: APA article on inclusion of problem gambling in DSM-III  Dr. Valerie Lorenz's book Compulsive Gambling Arnie Wexler's book All Bets Are Off University of Maryland resources for problem gambling International Problem Gambling Center

SMART Recovery is based on cognitive tools rooted in addressing how we think and react to life circumstances. For therapist Bruce Burleson, combining the cognitive aspects of behavior management with staying present in the moment is a recipe for successful treatment of addictions and compulsive behaviors. He calls his approach Mindfulness-Based Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, and he authored a workbook all about it.  Burleson has worked in a variety of mental health and recovery settings in the course of his more than 25 years in the field. In this podcast he explains how he helps clients address their issues and chart their own path to recovery.

Jan Folk was a high powered businesswoman for years, battling sexism in the male-dominated insurance industry. At the same time she was struggling with alcohol-use disorder and kept ending up in crisis.   After a couple of attempts to stop drinking she finally realized that the only way she was going to change her behavior was if she looked deep inside and made the decision for herself. That is when she learned about SMART and has embraced recovery.  Jan decided to share her story by writing a memoir, Hell in High Heels: How I Conquered My Demons, about her life as a business owner, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She chronicles her childhood and rise to prominence, love of dogs, and shares a story about how one might possibly lose a private plane.