International Facilitator Spotlight July 2024
Let meet Kasia Stubba and see why she decided to share SMART Recovery with her native Poland and beyond
When and how did you hear about SMART?
First time I heard about SMART Recovery was about 7 years ago. A friend, who went to SMART Recovery meetings, told me about it.
However, it wasn’t until I read SMART Recovery handbook that I got really interested in the programme. At the time I worked in Ireland, with people experiencing difficulties because of their addiction. I really liked the language used in SMART Recovery- without labels, supporting self efficacy and empowering people on their journey to recovery. That made me decide to become a SMART Recovery facilitator.
What made you decide to start facilitating a SMART meeting?
At the time I was employed in a Community Based Drug & Alcohol Initiative and wanted to support people I worked with. The SMART Recovery programme offered practical tools and approach that was nonjudgemental and based on acceptance. I started practicing in the facilitator role at SMART Recovery meetings among homeless community at the centre.
I remember how nervous I was facilitating my first meetings, but what helped was being part of a team of facilitators. We were supporting each other along the way.
In time, I started SMART Recovery meeting in the local area so the population I worked with would have had an easy access to it both inside and outside of the centre.
Why do you think there's a need for SMART in your area of the world?
There is no “one way” to recovery. I believe that people experiencing addiction deserve a choice. At the moment, in Poland, there aren’t many alternatives for people attending self help groups.
Waiting lists to treatment centres can be long and SMART Recovery is a programme that provides easy access, people can attend meetings without signing in, without waiting lists and requirements that traditional treatment centres might have.
What is the biggest challenge for people wanting to recover from addictions in your nation?
I think one of the biggest challenges for people wanting to recover from addiction, not only in Poland but in general, is stigma attached to it. It’s difficult to confront yourself with some of the labels associated with addiction, people are often slow to look for help because of it.
I like that in SMART, that we don’t use labels and that you don’t need to have that identity of an “addicted person”.
What are your plans for SMART moving forward?
We (as a Polish team of facilitators) started polish speaking SMART recovery meetings over 1.5 years ago. We now have two online meetings, two face to face meetings (in Poland) and a Polish speaking meeting based in Dublin, Ireland.
I would like to see SMART Recovery meetings being available in every part of Poland, the ones for people with problematic behaviours, as well as the Family & Friends ones. That’s the plan!