Kim is an experienced Executive Manager with significant leadership and management capabilities developed over three decades of working in the community service sector. She has worked in some of the most remote areas of Australia as the CEO of AMRRIC in the Northern Territory, and as EO of KIFSA in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. Prior to joining SMART Recovery International Kim completed a 12 month assignment with the Australian Volunteers for International Development program in Indonesia. Kim holds an Advanced Diploma Community Sector Management, Graduate Certificate of Management and is working towards completing her Master of Public Health.
Welcome to SMART Recovery International! We’re very happy to have you. What are you looking forward to most about your appointment?
Thank you! It’s so good to be a part of SMART Recovery. There is much to look forward to. I am excited to be part of a global organisation that exists to support people through self-determined learning about how to manage their problematic behaviours. I am particularly motivated by designing and developing processes, so the opportunity to be part of the establishment of the governance structures of an international organisation is a perfect fit for me. The prospect of introducing SMART Recovery into developing countries that currently have little to no support system for people and their families living with addiction is particularly exciting.
What initially drew your interest to SMART Recovery International?
I have spent my entire career working with people who have been marginalised from society, because of their race, their gender, their disability, their health, economic, or social status, basically because they are different. Consequently, I am very aware of the power that stigma, discrimination and assumptions have upon an individual and their life chances. Sadly, large parts of our society have a lot to say about lives they have never lived.
It was because of my background I was drawn to SMART Recovery. It is a program that works to empower people to determine their own destinies, free from judgment. As I researched the program it became evident very quickly that SMART gives people the tools to build resilience and to regain control of their lives. Without judgment. Who wouldn’t want to work for an organisation that does that?
What changes would you like to see for the organisation in the near future?
I think the implementation of SMART Recovery International is such a positive opportunity for the organisation. Having the one body that focuses upon consistency of branding, program fidelity and strategic growth will enable our Member Countries to focus on their own growth and development which ultimately means SMART Recovery will be accessible to more people in more places across the globe.
What would you like to see done to address the growing issue of addiction?
That’s a huge question for which there is no short, or easy answer. From the human rights and public health perspective I believe we need a shift in the focus of drug policies towards evidence-based measures that work against the stigmatization and marginalization of people who live with substance use disorder. Supports and services need to be integrated into each country’s primary health care system to provide equitable access to treatment programs and measures.
