A multi-methods yarn about SMART Recovery: First insights from Australian Aboriginal facilitators and group members

SMART Recovery is a popular mutual support group program. Little is known about its suitability or perceived helpfulness for Indigenous peoples. This is the first study to explore the cultural utility of SMART Recovery for Aboriginal peoples in Australia. Western and Indigenous research methodologies were synthesized to explore the experiences and perceptions of Aboriginal facilitators and group members and to observe three Aboriginal-led SMART Recovery groups. We found that Aboriginal-led SMART Recovery groups were operating as culturally customized versions of the original program. Customizations included a yarning circle style of facilitation, deliberate omissions from the core program ‘tools’, supplementation with Aboriginal-specific program resources and (for groups run within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organizations) integration of groups with a holistic model of care. These differences, together with recommended program improvements, offer SMART Recovery practical ways to enhance their cultural utility for Aboriginal Australians.

Dale, E., Lee, K., Conigrave, J.H., Ivers, R., Clapham, K, and Kelly, P.J (2021). A multi-methods yarn about SMART Recovery: First insights from Australian Aboriginal facilitators and group members. Drug and Alcohol Review 

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