Recovery Groups

People seeking or in long-term recovery, along with their families and loved ones, have a growing number of mutual aid groups to choose to participate in.

Recovery Groups

People seeking or in long-term recovery, along with their families and loved ones, have a growing number of mutual aid groups to choose to participate in. Some of these groups are online and others hold in-person/face-to-face meetings in communities across the country. Helping others as part of a mutual aid group is an important way that many people have sustained their personal long-term recovery.

Purpose

Find out about the growing number and scope of volunteer recovery mutual aid groups. This one-stop resource is for people in or seeking recovery from substance use disorder, their families and friends, addiction treatment service providers, and other allied service professionals. Numerous research studies have shown that mutual aid groups play a significant role in the process of recovery. Here you can learn about the many varieties of online and in-person mutual aid groups that are helping people find and sustain their recovery from substance use disorder.

History

The Guide to Mutual Aid Resources was developed by Ernest and Linda Kurtz for the Behavioral Health Recovery Management project in 2001. In 2005, the Guide moved to Faces & Voices of Recovery. Ernest Kurtz continued to manage it with the help of committee members Mike Boyle, Linda Kurtz, Pat Taylor and Bill White. In 2009, Lora Passetti and Bill White took over responsibility for working with committee members to update the Guide. In 2009, Faces & Voices of Recovery received funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Partner for Recovery Initiative to enhance the Guide.

Email us at info@facesandvoicesofrecovery.org with your ideas and suggestions.

Faces & Voices of Recovery as an organization honors all pathways of recovery.

Guide to Recovery Groups

Secular Organization for Sobriety / Save Our Selves (SOS)

Alcohol, Family- and Friend-Focused, Online, Secular

SOS is a network of autonomous, nonprofessional local groups dedicated solely to helping individuals achieve and maintain sobriety. SOS is a secular program of recovery and takes a self-empowerment approach. SOS is useful for people with alcohol and other drug problems who have difficulty with the spiritual aspects of many mutual aid groups. SOS has family and friend groups.

Founded (as Secular Sobriety Groups) 1985. Over 750 groups and online.

Smart Recovery

Alcohol, Online, Secular

A non-profit established in 1994. Offers more than 950 weekly face-to-face meetings and 30 online meetings for individuals seeking to abstain from substances or activities. SMART Recovery (Self Management And Recovery Training) is a self-empowering, science-based mutual support group for abstaining from any substance or activity addiction. Teaches tools organized under the 4-Point Program®: 1) Building and Maintaining Motivation, 2) Coping with Urges, 3) Managing Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors, and 4) Living a Balanced Life. Tools include change plan worksheet, cost-benefit analysis, hierarchy of values, ABCs of REBT for urge coping and emotional upsets, brainstorming, role-playing and rehearsing, and more.

SMART Recovery On-Line is a web-based community which supports individuals seeking to abstain from any substance or activity addiction. Established in 1998, SMART Recovery On-Line offers access to message boards, 24/7 live chat, and daily meetings in both type chat and voice chat formats. SMART Recovery Online is available worldwide. Volunteers are available to help newcomers as they post on the message board, enter chat room discussions and participate in meetings.

Sober24

12-Step Based, Alcohol, Co-Occurring Health Conditions, Online

Sober24 is an online fellowship for people with alcoholism and drug addiction based on 12-Step programs. It includes discussion and chat areas and use of SoberFuse, a recovery management software program. There are virtual meetings on a regular basis, reading materials and other recovery resources.

SupportGroups.com

Alcohol, Co-Occurring Health Conditions, Family- and Friend-Focused, Online

The goal of SupportGroups.com is to bring people together around life’s challenges by providing concise, up-to-date information and a meeting place for individuals, their friends and families, and professionals who offer pathways to help. Addiction support groups include ones for use of alcohol, caffeine, cocaine, drugs, ecstasy, gambling, heroin, the internet, marijuana, methamphetamines, prescription drugs, sex, shopping, smoking, sugar, and video games. Additionally, there is support for people taking methadone and suboxone. Groups for many other issues also exist.

Online community with over 220 support groups.

The Calix Society

12-Step Based, Alcohol, Faith-Based

The Calix Society is an association of Catholic alcoholics who are maintaining their sobriety through affiliation with and participation in the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. They welcome other alcoholics, not members of their faith, or any others, non-alcoholics, who are concerned with the illness of alcoholism and wish to join with us in prayer for our stated purposes.

Women for Sobriety

Alcohol, Gender Specific

Women for Sobriety is the first modern national self-help program for women with alcoholism. It is based on a new life program of positivity that encourages emotional and spiritual growth. It is run by women in small mutual aid groups held in hospitals, clinics, treatment facilities, women centers, and wherever women with alcoholism are being treated.