Yes, SMART Recovery meetings are completely free to attend, both online and in person. The organization is a nonprofit, so it welcomes donations but never requires them. You can walk into any meeting or join virtually without paying a fee, creating an account with payment info, or making any financial commitment.
What’s Free and What Costs Money
The core of SMART Recovery, its support group meetings, costs nothing. This applies worldwide. SMART Recovery Australia, for example, explicitly states the same no-cost policy as the US program. Meetings are led by trained facilitators and follow the organization’s four-point program, which covers building motivation, coping with urges, managing thoughts and behaviors, and living a balanced life.
Where costs do come in is with optional materials. SMART Recovery sells handbooks and workbooks through its online shop. The main participant handbook runs $14.95, and a companion handbook for family and friends is the same price. A journal for personal reflections costs $7.95. None of these are required to attend meetings or participate in the program, but some people find them useful for working through exercises between sessions.
How It Compares to Other Recovery Programs
SMART Recovery’s free model is similar to other mutual-support programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, which also hold free meetings funded by voluntary contributions. The key difference isn’t cost but approach. SMART Recovery is based on cognitive behavioral techniques rather than the 12-step framework, and it doesn’t incorporate spirituality or the concept of powerlessness over addiction. For people looking for a secular, science-based alternative, the price of entry is the same: zero.
Specialized and Institutional Programs
SMART Recovery does charge for some of its professional and institutional offerings. Its InsideOut program, designed for use in correctional facilities and treatment centers, starts at $299 for a starter package that includes ten participant manuals. Training staff to run those programs costs $450 per person for groups of ten or more, with additional coaching sessions available at $100 per hour. These costs are borne by the institutions, not by the individuals participating in the groups.
Facilitator training, which prepares volunteers to lead free community meetings, varies by location. Some states cover the cost entirely through government grants. Ohio, for instance, offers free statewide facilitator training funded by a federal substance abuse services grant. In other areas, there may be a modest registration fee, but many training opportunities are subsidized or free.
Getting Started Without Spending Anything
If you want to try SMART Recovery, the meeting finder on the organization’s website lets you search for both in-person and online meetings. Online meetings run throughout the day and cover different time zones, so you can typically find one that fits your schedule regardless of where you live. No referral, intake process, or sign-up fee is involved. You show up, participate as much or as little as you’re comfortable with, and leave. The “Support this Meeting” donation button you’ll see is entirely optional.