Agenda for Saturday October 17, 2009


  • 8:00 — 9:00 a.m.      Continental Breakfast & Registration


  • 9:00 — 9:30 a.m.      Icebreaker Bingo—led by Brett Saarela


  • 9:30 —10:30 a.m     SMART Recovery Strategic Planning Discussion
    All are asked to share ideas—what's worked, what hasn't
     
    Updates on the following 4 Strategic Plans which came about from the 2008 Participant Survey
     
    Specifically:
     
    Fundraising (hat passing/group donations, personal contributions, foundations)
    Increasing the # of available SMART Recovery meetings

  • 10:30 —11:00 a.m     Break

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  • 11:00—12:00 noon     Strategic Planning Discussion continued
    Determine the need for changes to existing materials
    Website revision
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  • 12:00—1:00 p.m.     Lunch

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  • 1:00 — 2:00 p.m.     Review of 2009 SMART Recovery Participant Survey.
    Where does it lead us?
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  • 2:00 —2:30 p.m.     SMART Recovery Online Update presented by volunteers and online participants.
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  • 2:30—3:00 p.m.     Break

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  • 3:00— 4:45 p.m.     Q&A a review of topics and questions as shared by volunteers and participants

    • Including the following:

     
    Volunteerism as it relates to Point 4, especially the conundrum of encouraging people to move on with their lives once they master the skills to avoid a return to addictive behaviors versus sticking around to help so the organization can sustain and grow locally, nationally, and globally.


    What brings people to SMART? (i.e., powerlessness, labels of addiction, disease model, others?)


    Long-Term Abstinence. Who achieves it? After how many attempts? How does the first year differ from the second? Or the fifth? Or the tenth?


    To Tell or Not to Tell: Do we owe something to the larger community in terms of "giving back" by sharing our experience with the SMART approach. How do we talk about our experience in recovery while honoring our privacy and our dignity?


    Medications: What works? What's on the horizon?


    How to Start a SMART face-to-face meeting in your area.


    Lifestyle Balance Approaches to Recovery: meditation, yoga, nutrition, massage, etc.


    Withdrawal & Its Symptoms – is what people are going through "normal" (anxiety, sleeplessness, etc)?


    Moderation! It comes up on the message boards all the time!


    How SMART can expand to attract and maintain the interest of younger people with addiction problems.


  • 4:45—5:00 p.m     Wrap-up, a review of the day's activities  – highlights, next steps, etc.


  • Evening     
    Dinner on Own.
    Note: a meeting room at the hotel will be available for post dinner gathering/networking.