Providing addiction services during a pandemic: Lessons learned from COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing measures have made in-person mutual help groups inaccessible to many individuals struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs). Prior to the pandemic, stakeholders in our community of Douglas County, Kansas, USA, had sponsored a program to train volunteers to facilitate local Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) groups. As a result, the community established seven weekly SMART Recovery groups, which more than 200 community members attended. In March 2020, the community discontinued these groups due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To provide SMART Recovery during social distancing, we developed a one-on-one phone-in service for people with SUDs and addictions: the SMART Recovery Line (SMARTline). In this paper, we share our experience training volunteers to facilitate SMART Recovery groups and SMARTline.

Bruce Liese is a Professor of Family Medicine & Psychiatry at the University of Kansas and Clinical Director, Cofrin Logan Centre for Addiction Research & Treatment.  Corey Monley is Project Coordinator with the Cofrin Logan Centre for Addiction Research & Treatment.

You can access the full article via RESEARCH GATE