COVID-19 Update for SMART Volunteers

Dear SMART Community:

The SMART Recovery USA leadership and staff are closely following news about the Coronavirus in order to determine the best course of action for our face-to-face meetings around the country. SMART Recovery International developed the general communication found below, including web links where you can find the most current information from trusted worldwide resources. We added links to additional resources from U.S. government sources.

Here in the U.S., we are developing plans to help our face-to-face facilitators move their meetings online if needed. We first need to gauge the demand for these online meetings, which will affect how we proceed. Facilitators who want to move their meetings online should contact our National Office at importantnews@smartrecovery.org. Of course, anyone can attend our existing 40 online meetings at smartrecovery.org/community, and can share our meeting schedule with participants in the meantime using this link: https://smartwww.wpengine.com/community/calendar.php.

Although these circumstances may prove to be challenging, we have an opportunity to introduce more people to SMART Recovery and SROL and provide help in new ways—even in the most trying times.

We will share more details as our plans take shape.

Take care and be safe,

SMART Recovery International: COVID-19 Announcement

Dear Member Countries:

As the outbreak of the new novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) evolves around the world, we recognise that many daily activities unique to the SMART community, such as attending SMART meetings, have the potential to be impacted or disrupted.

As this situation is changing daily, we recommend that you:

• Stay alert to guidelines and communications being issued by the World Health Organisation, National Health Agencies, such as the Centres for Disease Control, and your local public health authorities.

• Proactively identify how your volunteers and participants may be impacted or disrupted by public health interventions and develop response procedures for implementation if they are needed in the coming weeks.

• Develop and disseminate communications relating to COVID-19 in line with the advice being given from the WorldHealth Organisation, National Health Agencies, such as the Centres for Disease Control, and your local public health authorities to your staff and SMART community members and the availability of the online SMART meetings.

Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Division of Viral Diseases

Additional Information Resources for U.S. SMART Volunteers and Participants

SAMHSA – Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health: TIPS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, QUARANTINE, AND ISOLATION DURING AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAK
https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma14-4894.pdf

CDC – Share Facts About COVID-19 (PDF)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts-h.pdf

CDC – Stop the Spread of Germs (PDF)
https://globalhandwashing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/stop-the-spread-of-germs.pdf

CDC – Hand Washing
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/campaign.html#anchor_1569614328

(Volunteer Communication: Updated 3/11/20)