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Family & Friends Meeting Opening – Facilitator Starting Script

This opening script is a recommended starting point for SMART Recovery Family & Friends meetings. It is intended to be read at the beginning of each meeting to help participants understand what the meeting is, what to expect, and how SMART Family & Friends can support them.

Facilitators are encouraged to adapt this script to fit their meeting, use their own voice, and make changes that reflect their group, while ensuring the core points outlined below are always covered.

Download the current Family and Friends Opening

Purpose of the Opening

The meeting opening helps:

  • Set a welcoming and inclusive tone

  • Clarify who Family & Friends meetings are for

  • Reinforce confidentiality and psychological safety

  • Explain the focus and approach of SMART Family & Friends

  • Establish shared expectations before discussion begins

Key Points to Cover

When reading or adapting this opening, be sure your version clearly covers:

  • Who the meeting is for: People affected by a loved one’s addictive or problematic behaviors (substances or activities; no labels required).

  • Participant focus: Support for you—building coping skills, communication, and balance, not fixing or controlling others.

  • What SMART means: Self-Management and Recovery Training; empowerment, choice, and practical skill-building.

  • Structure & confidentiality: 60–90 minutes; voluntary participation; no real names required; what’s shared stays here.

  • Tools used: SMART Recovery 4-Point Program®, with additional resources from CRAFT and Invitation to Change.

  • Cost & donations: Meetings are free; optional donations may support local needs and SMART Recovery USA.

  • Transition to meeting: Invite questions, then begin.


Facilitator Notes

  • This script is meant to support consistency across meetings while still allowing for authentic, human delivery.

  • Avoid reading in a rigid or formal way—natural language helps participants feel at ease.

  • New participants especially benefit from hearing these points clearly and calmly.