Co-Occurring Conditions Clients and Counselors Compare 12-Step and Smart Recovery Mutual Help

ABSTRACT There are few published accounts describing the perspectives of persons with co-occurring conditions (CC) of serious mental illness and substance use disorders, despite the high prevalence of CC. Two focus groups were conducted with CC clients (n = 12) and counselors (n = 7) who had experience with two common types of mutual-help meetings: 12-step meetings and Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery®. In both groups, there were positive comments about both modalities, but there were relatively more negative comments about 12-step programs. Many positive comments related to the experience of being in a meeting, regardless of modality. The results suggest that persons with CC who are currently in treatment generally respond better to SMART Recovery than to 12-step mutual-help meetings.