Handout last updated: June 2026
Opening Statement
Hi everyone and welcome to today’s/this evening’s SMART Recovery meeting. If this is your first meeting, you are welcome to join in the discussion or just listen if you prefer.
SMART Recovery is a mutual support meeting where, through open and confidential discussion, we support each other in our journey to avoid using addictive behaviours and taking ownership for our choices. We refrain from using labels such as "alcoholic" and "addict" in our meetings.
SMART Recovery promotes self-empowering skills that help you Build and Maintain Motivation, Cope with Urges, Manage Thoughts and Living a Balanced Life.
At SMART Recovery, our meetings consist of check-in, agenda setting, discussion and then check-out.
- The Check-in: is an opportunity for you to let us know what has been going on for you over the last week, or since you were last at a meeting.
- The Agenda setting: helps to structure the meeting. Using the check-in, the focus of the agenda setting is on the addictive behaviours that has brought us all here today.
- The Discussion: is the working time of the meeting and is based on the agreed agenda. This is where we look at the experiences or approaches that others have used and what tools may help with the agreed theme. All participants are welcome to contribute.
- The Check-out: is the opportunity for you to say how you found the meeting and perhaps mention something that was helpful to you or what you are planning to do to maintain your recovery in the coming week.
We would ask that for this meeting you refrain from smoking, vaping and eating as this may cause distractions to others.