A grant from the Columbus Rotary Club is helping to attack the opioid epidemic locally. Bob Morrison is a member of the Rotary Club and White River Broadcasting Station Manager. He explains that the grant is funding training for the SMART Recovery Program, a 4-Point Program that helps people recover from all types of addictive behaviors.

Organizers say the program includes many ideas and techniques to help someone change their life from one that is self-destructive and unhappy to one that is constructive and satisfying. SMART Recovery was founded in 1994 and is an abstinence-based, not-for-profit organization with a self-help program for people having problems with drinking and using.

Morrison explains that the program trains 25 volunteers to provide help after an addict steps through the initial stages of recovery.

Morrison notes that the Rotary Club pursued this project out of a desire to make a positive impact on the community. Rotary members discussed the drug problem in our area and determined that they could best help by focusing on recovery. That led to the local club reaching out to its district leadership.

The training program will be held at Hotel Indigo. After training, SMART Recovery facilitators will be able to start and lead more recovery meetings throughout the community. SMART Recovery is being coordinated by the Recovery Programs team of the Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress.