Resource to find online meetings

  You can find online meetings to attend here: http://www.aa-intergroup.org/   Instructions Students will be required to attend two (open) 12-step recovery meetings as a way of gaining first-hand experience with the way this type of mutual aid group works. Students will write a reflective paper that describes and relates this experience to the conceptual framework of substance use treatment. More information about this assignment and the preparation suggested prior to attending 12-step meetings will be available in Engage. The purpose of this assignment is for you to gain familiarity with twelve-step programs; the paper is designed to document and help you process your experience. It is important to make sure that you attend meetings that are marked as "open" meetings unless you identify as being in recovery. An open meeting is open to anyone who would like to attend. A closed meeting is only open to persons who identify as belonging to the organization. Out of respect for the recovering community, please follow these guidelines. Although the 12-step meetings are not therapy sessions, it is best practices to keep the content of the meeting confidential in the sense that you do not share names in your posts/ writing and you do not publicly identify the events and content of the meeting. As a class, we will hold this information confidential between us. Steps to Approach This Paper Locate and then visit two (2) twelve-step groups. See the guidelines provided to help you schedule and choose appropriate meetings. One of the meetings must be an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The other meeting can be another type of 12-step meeting (such as Cocaine Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Over-Eating Anonymous, or Al-Anon etc.). Both should be “open” meetings. Spend time reviewing the literature of 12-step mutual aid groups. Gain an understanding of what the literature says about the efficacy of these groups. Please use at least 2 research sources. Critically review the efficacy of 12-step learned about by comparing it to the findings in the research and the perspective you’ve gained from attending 12-step meetings. Do you think 12 step meetings offer best practice care to clients? What strengths does it offer? What weaknesses? Step Two: Write a paper (of no more than 6 pages double-spaced) based on your experiences and the pertinent literature. The paper should be divided into two sections: your personal experiences and an analysis of 12-step groups based on your experiences and study of the literature.Section 1 - this section will describe experiences at the meeting Section One: Your Experience at the Meeting The following outline may be useful in organizing your observations of the meetings. This outline is only a suggestion and it is by no means required that you follow it Overview Name of the group Time of the meeting Why did you select this group? Description of the members of the group (age, gender, SES, etc.) Content of the Group What was the routine of the meeting? What was the atmosphere (quiet, noisy, respectful, tense)? Process of the Group Interactions between members Perception of underlying dynamics Personal Impressions Supportive nature of the group Strengths and weaknesses of the group process