SMART Recovery® Podcast

From growing up in small-town Iowa to becoming a military police officer Army Reservist, Holly Paulsen has seen and experienced much in her life. It wasn’t until she woke up still drunk after a night of drinking, that she decided to make changes in her life. Today, she is living her best life and helping other veterans get the help and resources they deserve.

In this podcast, Holly talks about:

• Following in her brother’s footsteps and joining the Army at age 17
• The military being its own world
• The peer pressure of being old enough to serve is old enough to drink
• Being deployed in Afghanistan when she turned 21
• Attributing early addictive behaviors to undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and later to numb the pain from injuries sustained in the military
• The military saying, “Drink About It, Don’t Think About It”
• A friend planting the seed of sobriety
• April 1st is not a joke
• Being supportive by going with a friend to SMART meetings
• Years later, making the choice to attend SMART meetings and finding the Veterans & First Responders inaugural meeting
• How SMART fits into her life and co-facilitating meetings
• Telling others don’t struggle alone; ask for help

Dr. Sarah Zemore is a Senior Scientist at the Alcohol Research Group in Emeryville, California, and the Principal Investigator of the Peer Alternatives for Addiction 2 (PAL2) Study. This is the second phase in the study which focuses on the benefits of mutual help groups in recovery. 

In this podcast, Sarah talks about:

• Her background in social psychology, then becoming interested in the addiction recovery process
• Previous studies being too academic with little translation to the real world
• The power researchers have to shape services and make an impact
• The goals, challenges, and findings from the 2015 PAL1 Study
• How the new PAL2 study will provide a deeper understanding the benefits of mutual help groups
• The focus in PAL2 will be on specific subgroups and how participation is different, i.e., in-person versus online meetings
• Mechanisms of action and the key drivers of recovery
• Ways to participate in PAL2 study and how the data will be used to provide recommendations to treatment providers
• The importance of knowing the range of recovery program options available
• Welcoming feedback on the work and study

Sarah Levin is the founder of Secular Strategies.  She is also a lobbyist and coalition builder.  Sarah has made it her life’s work to fight for legislation protecting secular points of view.  

Gerardo (Gee) Matamoros is president of the SMART NYC Board, and self-described newfound activist.  He is impacting his community through his passion and dedication to ensuring SMART is an option for everyone in recovery. 

In this podcast, they talk about: 

• Sarah growing up in a political family that loved to talk about religion and politics at the kitchen table 

• Sarah being introduced to SMART when she worked for the Secular Coalition for America 
• Being the engine of the secular movement  
• Gee grew up in different countries and came to the US for college 
• Gee’s stint with “naughty” substances and finding SMART 
• What brought Sarah and Gee together 

• Advocating for separation of church and state and evidence-based policy 
• Explaining to law makers why Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) should be supported in recovery 
• Ending the stigma of addiction for people in recovery 
• The First Amendment cases that protect choice in recovery pathways 
• Shifting the burden to the courts to ensure secular recovery options are given to people  

• Gee’s outreach and awareness efforts in NYC  
• Newfound energy in rallying people to get involved in SMART’s legislative changes 
• Why it’s important to learn the ecosystem of decision makers in your community and make SMART known 
• Telling your story because your voice matters to lawmakers at all levels 

Dave Jansa is a SMART Facilitator in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and someone with lived experience with the Family & Friends program.  He also serves on the board of Face it Together (FIT), whose mission is to solve the nation’s greatest health challenge drug and alcohol addiction. 

In this podcast, Dave talks about:

• Resolving his struggles with addictive behaviors on his own and by observing what others were going through as guidance
• Being curious and confused about his addiction experience and recovery transformation
• Face it Together being disturbing innovators
• The similarities between SMART and FIT and implementing SMART into their recovery options
• How using the Family & Friends program transformed the way he interacted with his son
• The needs of teens and young adults differs from adults in recovery
• The Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) method
• FIT’s Recovery Capital Index
• How addiction affects everyone in the family
• Being part of the solution in people’s recovery
• Finding the diamond in the rough

Since 2016, Lorie Hammerstorm has been the lead onsite trainer for SMART.  She also facilitates the teen and young adult meetings.  Her passion for working with teens and young adults is evident in the hundreds of people she has helped in their recovery journey. 

Rae Grady is an onsite trainer and Family & Friends facilitator, who has been with SMART since 2019.  Her prior experience working with adolescents as a guidance counselor and crisis coordinator has given her the tools and empathy to support the those in need. 

In this podcast, they talk about:

• Lorie’s need to find life goals beyond drugs and alcohol in high school and how it shaped her future
• Rae’s career working with adolescents and finding SMART as a resource
• How Lorie found SMART and why the tools were crucial in her life
• SMART’s principles are things kids can grab onto
• Why the school approach makes the teens more comfortable in meetings
• Lorie and Rae’s experiences with their own children’s struggles
• Why it’s important that teens learn to communicate
• The skills that trainers and facilitators need to work with teens and young adults
• The value in creating relationships with people
• Using music as a way to connect and relate to recovery
• Planting the seeds for recovery
• A mistake isn’t a failure, but an opportunity to learn
• The parents’ need to understand the recovery process

Chuck Novak’s life hasn’t always been easy.  A substance use problem led to five years in prison.  While incarcerated, Chuck decided to use his time to change his life for the better.  He earned a paralegal certificate and started on a path to recovery.  Today, Chuck is a Master Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor and a SMART Recovery Regional Coordinator in New Hampshire. 

In this podcast, Chuck talks about:

• His experiences with addiction and being incarcerated
• How simple decisions were difficult after being released
• Changing the vocabulary for returning citizens
• How he became interested in becoming a counselor
• Using SMART tools within the tools during his meetings
• The role of regional coordinators is morphing
• Implementing “Operation Bed Bug”
• How the InsideOut: A SMART Recovery Correctional Program® aligns with the Federal Bureau of Prisons programing
• Consulting for the Drug and Mental Health Courts in New Hampshire
• Learning how to do life
• Discovering there is Life Beyond Addiction

Barry Grant’s experiences being incarcerated over 20 years ago changed and shaped his future forever.  Today, Barry is the owner of S.A.F.E Counseling Services, Director of Outpatient Services at Hope House, and SMART board member.  His tireless championing of the SMART program has helped countless people in their recovery journey. 

In this podcast, Barry talks about:

• His history of being incarcerated and finding SMART while in prison
• Using his time in prison as an opportunity to grow and share experiences with others
• SMART being in the here and now, not the past
• Examining and evaluating the human experience
• His meaning of recovery
• Choosing your behavior means choosing your consequences
• Becoming an autodidactic counselor
• The difference between being ready and being prepared
• Changing the vocabulary for incarcerated people
• How SMART principles are applicable to life situations
• Asking “Who Are You?”

Matt Frank has been a SMART Facilitator for over seven years.  His uses his experience and LGBTQ+ perspectives to shape the tools and conversations to be most effective for his meeting participants. 

In this podcast, Matt talks about:

• How pride can be a problem emotion
• SMART discourages using labels
• Practicing recovery actively
• Focusing on behavior versus identity
• The difference between self-esteem and self-acceptance
• Using Motivational Interviewing in his Sexual Maladaptive Behavior meeting
• What people need is a good listening to
• The pros and cons on online versus in-person meetings
• Not letting pride lead you astray
• Appreciating the small things in life

Brett Saarela’s personal and professional experience led her to find her passion in helping older adults with mental health and addiction issues.  She is a licensed clinical social worker in New York and has devoted her time and efforts to ensuring the older population is seen and treated properly.  Brett is the Vice President of the SMART Recovery Board of Directors and serves on the SMART International Board of Directors. 

In this podcast, Brett talks about:

• Why the word geriatrics is a challenging term
• Her heart and passion is working with older adults
• Her personal and family history of mental health and substance use
• Discovering SMART Recovery and ultimately changing careers
• Modifying SMART tools for each client
• Barriers to detection among the geriatric population
• Motivational interviewing being a cornerstone of SMART
• Guidance for family and friends whose older loved ones have a substance use problem
• Goals for SMART for helping older adults
• Future of mental health and addiction services for older adults

Mike Massey has been facilitating SMART Recovery Online (SROL) meetings since 2013.  His professional experience as a former teacher and union leader, as well as his personal experience with substance use, gave him the skills and abilities to help meeting participants.  When many of the participants said they also were dealing with a mental health disorder, he struggled with how best to help them and decided there needed to be a reference guide for facilitators on how to handle this aspect of recovery.  So, he and several others created one: Facilitator Best Practices for Addressing Mental Health Disorders and Suicide in SMART Recovery Meetings.

In this podcast, Mike talks about:

• What led to writing the Facilitator Best Practices for Addressing Mental Health Disorders and Suicide in SMART Recovery Meetings
• Most facilitators are not experts or professional therapists, but should have a familiarity with mental health disorders
• People coming to the meeting for hope and inspiration
• Reframing the terms of mental health
• Two types of stigma – self and society
• Searching for patterns and reasons for addictions
• Asking participants, “What do you need to get through this?”
• The mystery and magic of being in a meeting
• Doing a better job of helping others help themselves
• How to handle the mention of suicide
• Contributors in writing the guide, including the QPR Institute
• Finding the guide on VolunteerHQ