Twelve Step Programs Why Should They Go?

Personal Exercise  10-Minute Quick-write on a Characteristic of Yourself That You Have Struggled to Change  What Feelings Did You Have During the Struggle?  How Can Your Experience With That Struggle Help you to Help Your Students?

Overview  Where Did They Come From?  What Kinds of Meetings Are There?  What Happens at Meetings?  Why Does it Work?  Who Runs Them?  What’s a Sponsor?  What Are the Basics of Recovery?  How Can Our Students Benefit From Them?

Origins Oxford Group Alcoholics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous Offshoots

Types of Meetings  Open vs. Closed  Discussion  Speaker  Book Study  Speaker-Discussion  Step Study

What Happens at Meetings  Newcomers – First 30 Days  Oldtimers – Experience, Strength and Hope  Sharing, Topics  Cross-talk  The “God-Thing”  Clean Time

It Work Because...  One Addict Helping Another  Experience, Strength and Hope  Relapsers Welcome  Coping Skills  One Day At A Time  It’s Free

Meeting/Service Structure  Trusted Servants  Not Organized  Secretary, Leader, Coffee Maker, Group Service Representative  Democratic Decision Making  Court Slips

Sponsorship  Preferably A Year or More Clean  Men with Men, Women with Women  Shows Newcomers How to Work Steps  Shares Experience, Strength and Hope Only  Winners Get Sponsors and Use Them

The Basics  90 in 90  Support System  Sponsor  Service  HOW - Honesty, Open-mindedness, Willingness  The Twelve Steps

Working the Steps  Can Take a Month, a Year, or Longer  Internalized by Writing, Sharing  Must Be Done With a Sponsor  Confidentiality  Prevents Relapse, Builds a Foundation  Powerlessness and Unmanageability

Meeting Hazards  Is Everyone Clean?  Drugs and Paraphernalia  Confidentiality, Anonymity  Can Someone Be Kicked Out?

Tell Your Students:  Focus on the Similarities not Differences  Listen For Your Story  Take What You Like, Leave the Rest  Try Six Meetings  Get Phone Numbers  Don’t Leave Before the Miracle Happens

Benefits  Clean Friends Who Have Shared Experiences  Day to Day Coping Skills Shared  Relapse Prevention  People Care About Each Other  Fun Activities  Networking – Job Leads, Resource Ideas  Lifelong Recovery

Do You Consider Yourself... A. Extremely Knowledgeable? B. Somewhat Knowledgeable? C. Minimally Knowledgeable?

15-Minute Discussion 1. Describe Something You Learned About Twelve Step Programs Today 2. Discuss the Resistance You Encounter From Students About Attending Meetings 3. Based on Your Group’s Scenario, Develop Two Strategies/Responses for Dealing With It

Discussion Topics: Group 1: Meetings Are Boring, People Whine Group 2: I Have No Time or Transportation to Get To Meetings Group 3: People Are Using/Selling/Relapsing at Meetings Group 4: Meetings Make Me Want to Use/Other Felons Attend Group 5: People in Meetings are Judgmental and Clicky, No One Talked to Me Group 6: I Can’t Relate to People At Meetings Group 7: I Don’t Want To Be In Recovery

Strategies Shared Homework: Observe One Open Twelve-Step Meeting This Year