A group of attendees at the 2019 SMART Recovery National Conference wearing SMART Recovery stickers celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary.
The 2019 SMART Recovery National Conference was truly a celebration of our past, present & future! We honored our amazing community, volunteers, friends, and accomplishments of the last 25 years, and presented a vision of our next quarter century.
There is no better way to face the addiction epidemic than through education. So for this conference we assembled renowned speakers from the fields of addiction science, psychology, medicine, and policy – as well as peer support meeting facilitators and therapists – to share their latest research, results, and best practices. This knowledge bank is now available to share.
We are pleased to offer you a compilation of the presentations available on SMART Recovery’s YouTube channel and links for downloading PDFs of presentation slides, where available.
We encourage you to visit and subscribe to SMART Recovery’s YouTube channel:
Thanks to our 2019 Conference Sponsors: 
Table of Contents:
Please continue scrolling to find videos and presentation slides for many of the 2019 SMART Recovery National Conference presentations. You can also use these links to jump down the page to a specific presentation.
- Opening Keynote Address (Bill Greer and Mark Ruth)
- Are Relapse and Recycling Necessary for Addictive Behavior Change? (Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D.)
- Words Matter: Addiction Terminology, Accuracy and Stigma (Richard Saitz, M.D.)
- 50 Years of Addiction Research and Policy – The Shifting Paradigm Towards Long-Term Recovery Management (John F. Kelly, Ph.D.)
- Motivation and Self-Efficacy in AA and SMART Recovery Participants in Recovery From Alcohol Use Disorder (Leslie Waite, Psy.D.)
- 2019 SMART Recovery Awards Gala
- SMART Comes Alive: Personal Recovery Story (DeSean Duncan)
- Past, Present, and Future of Family & Friends Through a Personal Lens (Kathy Lang)
- International Updates: SRI (Nadene Lee & Kim McCreanor)
- SMART Grand Rapids: This Is How We Do It! (Don Nicewander)
Help Us End the Addiction Epidemic
Bill Greer, Board President, SMART Recovery
Mark Ruth, Executive Director, SMART Recovery
Presentation Topic: Opening Keynote Address
Join Bill Greer, President of the Board of Directors, and Mark Ruth, Executive Director of SMART Recovery, as they provide opening remarks at the 2019 National Conference, welcoming featured speakers, presenters, treatment providers, professionals, participants and volunteers. Together, they recognize SMART’s leadership and staff around the world who have helped SMART Recovery to thrive in its 25-year journey.
Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D.
Presentation Topic: Are Relapse and Recycling Necessary for Addictive Behavior Change?
Are relapse and recycling needed for recovery? Who better to answer this question than Carlo DiClemente, Ph.D., the co-creator of the Stages of Change model? In this highly informative presentation, Dr. DiClemente discusses relapse models, recycling and relapse, how they fit together, and the need to rethink the term “relapse.”
Click here to view Dr. DiClemente’s presentation slides
View presentation video on YouTube
Richard Saitz, M.D.
Presentation Topic: Words Matter – Addiction Terminology, Accuracy and Stigma
Words matter to Richard Saitz, M.D., who edits medical journals and publications for accuracy surrounding addiction terminology. In this talk, Dr. Saitz discusses substance use disorders as health conditions; how language promotes stigma and affects policy and care; and the emergence of accurate, non-stigmatizing terminology.
Click here to view Dr. Saitz’s presentation slides
View presentation video on YouTube
John F. Kelly, Ph.D.
Presentation Topic: 50 Years of Addiction Research and Policy – The Shifting Paradigm Towards Long-Term Recovery Management
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the War on Drugs, what has been accomplished? What can we do better? What role do recovery support services such as SMART Recovery play in long-term recovery and the ongoing effort to effectively address the addiction epidemic? John F. Kelly, Ph.D., discusses these questions and much more.
Click here to view Dr. Kelly’s presentation slides
View presentation video on YouTube
Leslie Waite, Psy.D.
Presentation Topic: Motivation and Self-Efficacy in AA and SMART Recovery Participants in Recovery From Alcohol Use Disorder
How do motivation and self-efficacy differ between participants who attend Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery? What about individuals who use a combination of the two? Leslie Waite, Psy.D., introduced his research on these questions. His findings have helped him start discussions and establish SMART meetings in Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country.
Click here to view Dr. Waite’s presentation slides
View presentation video on YouTube
DeSean Duncan
Presentation Topic: SMART Comes Alive – A Personal Recovery Story
Three games into his college football career, DeSean Duncan dislocated his shoulder and was provided pain medication. This was the start of a long journey with addiction. DeSean now facilitates a SMART Recovery Face-To-Face meeting and is part of a recovery teen center that will soon start the first SMART Recovery Teen meeting in his state. DeSean shares his inspirational story, and we are proud to share it with you.
View presentation video on YouTube
Kathy Lang
Presentation Topic: Past, Present, and Future of Family & Friends Through a Personal Lens
Kathy Lang has facilitated SMART Recovery Family & Friends meetings for more than six years. When her son struggled with opioid addiction after back surgery, Kathy and her husband were overwhelmed. Listen to Kathy describe how SMART Recovery Family & Friends has impacted her life and how she encourages others through her volunteering with SMART.
Click here to view presentation slides
View presentation video on YouTube
Nadene Lee, Chairperson, SMART Recovery International
Kim McCreanor, Executive Officer, SMART Recovery International
Presentation Topic: International Updates – SRI
Listen to Nadene Lee, Chairperson, and Kim McCreanor, Executive Officer of SMART Recovery International, provide an update on the governing body of the global SMART Recovery organization.
Click here to view presentation slides
View presentation video on YouTube
Don Nicewander
Presentation Topic: SMART Grand Rapids –This is How We Do It!
Don Nicewander describes a facility, opened by SMART Grand Rapids, which provides well-run, well-financed, and diverse programming for individuals with addiction. He explains how well this has worked in the community, and how this approach can inspire others to open similar facilities in other communities.
View presentation video on YouTube
Subscribe to SMART Recovery’s YouTube Channel
We encourage you to visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Multimedia – especially video – will become an increasingly important tool in our outreach, and a helpful resource for anyone searching for rich recovery-related content that educates, informs, and inspires. We welcome your suggestions.
