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SMART Recovery

Related topics: Mental health and substance use Substance use Substance use treatment and recovery

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If there is a life-threatening safety concern, please call 9-1-1 or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.

Suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-784-2433

BC Crisis Line: 310-6789

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

Indigenous Crisis and Support Line - KUU-US Crisis Support Line: 1-800-588-8717

Harm reduction: Toward the Heart 

SMART Recovery is a four-point program to assist people to recover from all types of addiction and addictive behaviours.

About SMART Recovery

The SMART Recovery 4-Point Program® helps people recover from all types of addiction and addictive behaviours, including: drug abuse, drug addiction, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, gambling addiction, prescription drug abuse, sexual addiction, and problem addiction to other substances and activities. 

The 4-Point Program® offers specific tools and techniques for each of the program points:

  1. building and maintaining motivation
  2. coping with urges
  3. managing thoughts, feelings and behaviours
  4. living a balanced life

SMART Recovery is the leading self-empowering addiction recovery support group. Our participants learn tools for addiction recovery based on the latest scientific research and participate in a world-wide community which provides free, self-empowering, science-based mutual help groups.

SMART Recovery Meetings

SMART is a worldwide recovery program and we offer daily meetings in Vancouver, Richmond and the North Shore with trained facilitators from the community. Based on the concepts of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, we use an evidence-based practical approach for people to learn about their unhelpful behaviors and replace them with helpful ones.

Download the SMART recovery meeting schedule for Vancouver, Richmond and Sea to Sky

SMART Recovery 2025 weekly meeting schedule

VCH hosts SMART Recovery meetings in community settings. SMART is a worldwide program and we offer daily meetings in Vancouver, Richmond and the North Shore with trained facilitators from the community. 

​No referral is necessary, everyone is eligible. Click to see locations and schedules for 2025 or download the SMART schedule.

  • Monday

    Robert & Lily Lee Community Health Centre
    1669 East Broadway, Room 325 
    3:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

    Excludes statutory holidays

  • Tuesday

    Three Bridges Community Health Centre
    1128 Hornby Street, Room 123
    3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

    Family & Friends Meeting (Online)
    Online - Join
    6:00 to 7:00 p.m. 

  • Wednesday

    South Mental Health Team 
    1200 W 73rd Ave #220, See Reception 
    3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

    SMART Women's Group - Three Bridges Community Health Centre
    1128 Hornby St, Room 215
    6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. -  April 9th, April 23rd then on pause until May 14th, May 28th

  • Thursday

    Downtown Community Court 
    211 Gore Ave; NOTE: participants pass through security before being shown to room 
    1st and 3rd Thursday of the Month 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

    Reach Community Health Centre 
    1145 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, Room 032
    4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

    Robert & Lily Lee Community Health Centre (Online) 
    Online - Join
    6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

  • Friday

    Three Bridges Community Health Centre 
    1128 Hornby Street, Vancouver, Room 215 
    6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

    Sea-to-Sky Online
    6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    Online - Join 

  • Saturday

    Three Bridges Community Health Centre 
    1128 Hornby Street, Vancouver, Room 215 
    11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

  • Sunday

    There are no meetings currently available. 

Resources

SMART resources

Family and friends suggested reading list

There is an alternate, non-confrontational, scientifically-validated approach to managing addiction recovery problems. This approach is outlined in the following list of books. These books teach family members and friends how to improve their own lives while at the same time providing skills for improving their relationship with their loved one.

  • Get Your Loved One Sober: Alternatives to Nagging, Pleading, and Threatening  and Beyond Addiction,
  • How Science & Kindness Help People Change.
  • Using Community Reinforcement And Family Training (CRAFT)
  • CRAFT: An approach that gets people into treatment

How to become a facilitator

Are you interested in becoming a SMART Recovery Volunteer facilitator with Vancouver Coastal Health? The VCH: Communication & Group Facilitation Workshop Series is the first of several steps required to get involved. 

This free workshop covers basic group facilitation and communication skills for people interested in facilitating a SMART Recovery meeting. If you are interested, email vanessa.carle1@vch.ca for registration and details.

Contact

For comments or feedback on SMART meetings, cancellations, materials or facilitators, contact Vanessa Carle at 604-675-3980 extension 20258 or by email.