International Facilitator Spotlight for June 2024

June 2024 Meeting Facilitator Features Majorie Ramos Salcedo of Colombia

Opening New Doors For Recovery & Fellowship

When and how did you hear about SMART? 

I heard about SMART while I was studying for my master's degree in psychology at Purdue University Global about 4 years ago. I was reading the textbook Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders from Avram H. Mack, Kathleen T. Brady, Sheldon I. Miller, Richard J. Frances 4th ed. In their book, they recommend having support groups to people recovering from addictions as a complement to therapy or to their treatment.  

What made you decide to start facilitating a SMART meeting? 

When I graduated from Purdue University back in 2022, I continued working as a mental health counselor and addiction counselor. I received many calls from family and friends of people with addictions, so I was looking for a place to refer them to find support and to find a place where they could have the feeling that they could do something for their loved one with addictions. I found that I could refer mostly people whose first language was English. Then, I found out that SMART recovery had a Spanish group in New York, so I thought it could be important to have other group in Spanish in South America because of the cultural environment. It is different to be Latin and immigrant in the US than being Latin be living in Central or South America. I also found out that there are many English-speaking population living in South America and or married with people from South America whose first language is English. So, I decided to open a group for English Speaking Population living in South America. This made me become a SMART Recovery facilitator. I also think that when we become a group of people under a brand, we are more powerful rather than being on my own trying to do the same thing, now that I am an independent practitioner in mental health.  

 What is the biggest challenge for people wanting to recover from addictions in Colombia? 

I agree with the authors of the book that I mentioned already Clinical Textbook of Addictive Disorders. It is necessary to have support groups for people with addictions in different parts of the world. SMART recovery brings information and tools for people with all types of addictions which make it important for people of my country.  

I found out about its importance when I finished my thesis called “Mental Health First Response (MHFR) Program: Assessing the Mental Health First Response in the Colombian Population in Terms of Prevention and Intervention of Substance Use Disorder” that is published in Proquest and in the university, you can find it at https://purdueglobal.dspacedirect.org/items/835327dc-1227-4b47-9706-5bb5d6540b89 

People in Colombia who have addictions are more addicted to alcohol, and marihuana. There are other behavioral problems too, like gambling. Young people start drinking alcohol when they are children. There are some good programs in my country and in South America, SMART recovery is a good complement for those who started with a program already as well as for those who are not sure how to start with treatment.  

What are your plans for SMART in Colombia? 

My plans are to keep inviting people with addictions to come to join online SMART recovery groups for people with addictions, family and friends in English and in Spanish. As well as making SMART growing in Colombia and South America with other facilitators who want to become part of this international project to help other under the motivational interview model and help them to have tools to change their behaviors.   I have a Facebook for our group called SMART Recovery South America - Sur América as well as some information in Youtube that you can find in the following link https://youtube.com/shorts/qCKcWdYSdUI?feature=share 

You can also find more information about SMART Recovery groups and the facilitator at https://www.psychologytoday.com/co/psicologos/marjorie-ramos-salcedo-bogota-dc/825290 

I have openings for those who want to join our groups, you can send me a message to marjorieramossalcedo@smartrecovery.org.es 

Join us in celebrating the amazing people around the world making a difference within the SMART Recovery Global Community!