SMART here.
Santa Cruz has a large community working for recovery from addictions. The potential to expand SMART's involvement is great. As we present ourselves in a non-AA-bashing manner, our reputation is growing by word of mouth and in the professional community as a realistic alternative.
We are now on the Santa Cruz County Community Resource List and are recognized as acceptable for credit for persons the county courts require to attend alcohol/drug recovery self-help meetings. And, Janus, a major residential and outpatient treatment center here, has invited us to start a weekly meeting at their facility as an alternative for their clientele (aftercare, DUI, outpatient & relapse prevention programs). They are referring outpatient clientele to the meetings we already have going.

In July we were able to secure another meeting place and initiated a Wednesday evening SMART group which meets at the Santa Cruz County Health Services complex. Although summer attendance at the Health Services has been slim, we are looking forward to an upswing this fall and winter because Santa Cruz  is a college and tourist town and summers are marked by a good portion of the local community going away.
We've designed and printed two thought-provoking flyers and have kept them prominently posted in the downtown area and at key meeting facilities. Additionally, we have an ongoing announcement in a local weekly newspaper.
We can always use help and support and you're welcome to join us in building the SMART presence in Santa Cruz County.

HELP!! Jason Lubin, SMART Coordinator in Santa Cruz, is having a hard time keeping up with demand. Can you help? He may be contacted via
831-469-4673, Fax 831-469-4675 or Jason_Lubin@hotmail.com.
In February 1999, Jason Lubin with the help of Bob Long, of SMART Recovery^® of Silicon Valley, started a Saturday evening self-help/support group at Page Smith Community House. Page Smith is a transitional housing pilot program for homeless people located in Santa Cruz on the California coast. During the ensuing seven months, there has been major progress in gaining credence for and expanding the presence of

The 1999 SMART Recovery® Training Program, hosted October 22-23 in Chicago, Illinois, drew over 90 participants from the US, with one attendee traveling from Rome to join in the learning experience.  The Silicon Valley Groups were once again ably represented by Bob Long (garbed in white). In addition to attending, Bob presented to the Saturday first-time training program attendees. Reputable sources tell us that Bob's Role-play presentation was highly effective, and proved to be a great deal of fun for the participants. Bob helped to create the Brainstorming and the Role-play "cheat sheets" which have recently been provided to SMART Coordinators to help them become more skilled at facilitating meetings.

Page 2