SMART for organizations

Bring SMART Recovery into your organization

Train your staff and volunteers to run science-based SMART Recovery meetings within your own programs, alongside the services and supports you already offer. Everything you need to plan it is on this page.

Request a training quote Compare training options

Our approach

Practical support for change

SMART stands for Self-Management and Recovery Training. Our secular, science-based approach helps people build skills to change addictive or other concerning behaviours and make choices that support their own goals. It draws on cognitive behavioural therapy, rational emotive behaviour therapy, and motivational interviewing.

A team taking part in a SMART Recovery training session

The 4-Point Program®

Four areas of focus that work together. They are not steps to complete in order.

1
Build and maintain motivation
Explore what matters and why change is worth it.
2
Cope with urges
Recognize patterns and practise ways to ride out cravings.
3
Manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
Question unhelpful thinking and respond in more useful ways.
4
Live a balanced life
Look at the relationships, health, work, and recreation that make change last.

Complements your services

Meetings offer mutual support and practical skill building alongside your existing programs. They do not replace clinical treatment or counselling, and people who use medication as part of recovery are welcome.

Self-directed change

Your team supports participant choice and respectful discussion. Participants set their own goals and choose the tools that fit. Training shows facilitators how to guide that within the SMART approach.

Settings we support

Treatment centres, shelters and housing programs, social services, correctional facilities, campuses, and community programs across Canada.

Programs

Choose the focus for your team

Different settings serve different needs. Start with the people you hope to support, then choose the program that fits.

4-Point Program®

For people working to change substance use or other addictive or concerning behaviours. Meetings use practical tools to explore motivation, urges, thinking patterns, and lifestyle balance. Organizations offer it within treatment, housing, social services, campus, and community programs.

Family & Friends

For people affected by someone else's addictive or other concerning behaviours. It draws on Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), with a focus on communication, boundaries, coping, and the supporter's own well-being. It fits well with family support services.

InsideOut

Adapts SMART Recovery for correctional and justice-involved settings, with resources suited to institutional environments. Talk to us about training, workbooks, and any licensing requirements before you plan an InsideOut meeting.

Live training covers the 4-Point Program over two days, with an optional third day for Family & Friends or InsideOut. Self-paced courses are available for the 4-Point Program and Family & Friends.

Training options

Two ways to train your team

Both options prepare staff and volunteers to facilitate SMART Recovery meetings. Choose the one that fits your schedule and how your team learns.

Training is currently in English only. Live training and our online learning platform are in English. We are adapting more resources into French, so ask us for the current list of French materials.

Option A

Self-paced online training

Best for ongoing staff onboarding, individual learning, and professional development when a shared schedule is hard to arrange.

FormatOnline, at each person’s own pace, on our Canadian learning platform
TimeAbout 5 to 10 hours, varies by person
Programs4-Point Program, Family & Friends
CostCA$110 per person

What’s included

Modules on SMART principles, tools, meeting structure, and core facilitation skills
Digital facilitator manual, with resources learners can return to as they prepare
Certificate of completion once course requirements and the final assessment are met

Good to know

Printed handbooks and manuals are purchased separately for this option.
Organizations can buy bulk enrolment codes on one invoice, so new staff can start training as they join.
Eligible not-for-profit staff, volunteers, and students can request a 35% discount (CA$71.50 per course).

Explore the training platform Ask about enrolment codes

Option B

Live online group training

Train your team together in interactive Zoom sessions led by two SMART Recovery trainers, with plenty of time for questions.

FormatLive on Zoom, as a group
Length2 days for the 4-Point Program, or 3 days with Family & Friends or InsideOut
Group sizeUp to 20 participants
CostQuoted for your team, based on program, group size, and materials

What’s included

Live instruction from two trainers, with guided discussion and practical activities
Mock meetings to practise opening a discussion, introducing a tool, listening, and handling a difficult moment, with trainer feedback
Printed handbooks, facilitator manuals, and brochures for your programs
A completion process, plus help registering and setting up your meeting

Good to know

Registered non-profits can ask about available discounts.
Your quote confirms dates, daily schedule, participant count, materials, shipping, taxes, and payment terms.
For InsideOut, we also confirm any licensing or workbook requirements.

Request a quote

Preparing for live training

Plan time for each session, and a space where people can hear, speak, and take part without interruptions.
Each participant needs reliable internet, Zoom, and working audio.
Tell us about accessibility needs or technology restrictions when you book.
Training happens on Zoom, but your meetings can be in person or online.

Tools and materials

See what participants will work with

SMART tools turn big ideas into something people can explore and practise. Here are two worksheets from the 4-Point Program Handbook.

Cost-Benefit Analysis worksheet from the SMART Recovery 4-Point Program Handbook — Cost-Benefit Analysis
Helps a person weigh what they gain and lose from a behaviour, now and in the longer term. Facilitators invite reflection without telling anyone what to conclude.

Lifestyle Balance Wheel worksheet from the SMART Recovery 4-Point Program Handbook — Lifestyle Balance Wheel
Helps a person reflect on satisfaction across areas of life and choose where to make changes. It opens up a conversation about values, priorities, and manageable goals.

Training shows your team when a tool may help and how to support a thoughtful discussion around it. Worksheets and brochures are available at no cost.

Explore all SMART tools

Handbooks and facilitator materials

Printed handbooks help participants revisit what they learn and help facilitators prepare. They are included in live training packages, and you can buy them separately for self-paced training or to stock your programs.

4-Point Program Handbook cover — 4-Point Program Handbook

Family & Friends Handbook cover — Family & Friends Handbook

4-Point Facilitator Manual cover — 4-Point Facilitator Manual

Family & Friends Facilitator Manual cover — Family & Friends Facilitator Manual

Bulk pricing is available for organizations.
Handbooks and manuals are copyright protected. Contact us about organizational ordering or any reproduction.
InsideOut uses its own program workbooks. We confirm these when you book.

See handbooks and prices Order in bulk

Getting started

From training to your first meeting

Tell us what you want to offer, who you hope to serve, and your setting. We will help you choose a program and training option, then work through the practical details with you.

Refer people now
You can refer people to public SMART Recovery meetings, online or in person, at no cost to participants, while you decide whether to offer your own. Find a meeting.
Choose who will train
Pick the staff or volunteers who will facilitate, and set aside time for training. Attending an existing meeting first helps people get to know the approach.
Plan your meeting
Decide whether it will be public or private, in person or online, and who it is for. Think about space, accessibility, privacy, and how people will hear about it.
Register and stay connected
Register every meeting with us, public or private. Facilitators get ongoing resources, program guidance, and updates as they start.

Public and private meetings
Meeting type	Who attends	Listing
Public	Community participants	Listed in the public meeting finder
Private	Your organization’s participants or staff	Registered, without a public listing

Questions

Questions from organizations

Who can take facilitator training?

Peer support workers, social workers, clinicians, corrections staff, volunteers, and community organizers. No formal clinical prerequisites are required.

Can SMART tools be used one on one?

Yes. SMART tools can be used in individual work as well as in groups, within the practitioner’s role and scope.

Does training grant clinical credentials?

No. Training prepares people to facilitate SMART Recovery meetings. It does not grant counselling or clinical credentials.

Can we run private meetings for our own clients or staff?

Yes. Private meetings are registered with SMART Recovery Canada but do not appear in the public meeting finder.

Is training available in French?

Live training and the self-paced platform are currently in English. We are adapting more resources into French. Contact us for the current list of French materials.

How does payment work?

We send an invoice when you register. You can pay by electronic funds transfer, cheque, or credit card. Your invoice confirms the payment terms.

Can we order handbooks in bulk?

Yes. Printed participant handbooks and facilitator manuals are available with bulk pricing. Order handbooks in bulk.

Tell us about your team

Share your location, who you hope to support, your preferred program, your approximate group size, and your timeline. We will recommend a training option and send you a detailed information package with a quote.

Request a training quote Email info@smartrecovery-canada.ca

More to exploreFind a meeting SMART tools Handbooks Facilitator resources

Bring SMART Recovery into your organization

Practical support for change

The 4-Point Program®

Build and maintain motivation

Cope with urges

Manage thoughts, feelings, and behaviours

Live a balanced life

Complements your services

Self-directed change

Settings we support

Choose the focus for your team

4-Point Program®

Family & Friends

InsideOut

Two ways to train your team

Self-paced online training

What’s included

Good to know

Live online group training

What’s included

Good to know

Preparing for live training

See what participants will work with

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Lifestyle Balance Wheel

Handbooks and facilitator materials

From training to your first meeting

Refer people now

Choose who will train

Plan your meeting

Register and stay connected

Questions from organizations

Tell us about your team