Below are the steps for you to follow to get a meeting up and running:

1. Read through the DDA Facilitator’s Documents below (they can also be printed out and/or saved in your local files – you will need to have these documents handy when you run a meeting):
   
   • DDA Meeting packet for Facilitators
   • DDA Meeting Readings
   • DDA Useful Numbers
   • About Our Rules
2. Attend some DDA online/in person meetings beforehand, so you can get a feel of how other Facilitators run their meetings (UK meetings can be found at www.ddauk.org and USA DDA Meetings can be found at https://ddainc.org)
3. If you have any questions, please contact us at: info@ddauk.org. We will be happy to talk you through things on the phone too, if that’s more useful.
4. Also, feel free to join the DDA Facilitators’ Whatsapp Group. If you would like to join this group, once again just email us at info@ddauk.org and request this.  The Facilitators Group is a great forum for Facilitators to support each other and share info; and we also run occasional Facilitator Workshops/Reflective Practice Sessions, so we can support one another.
5. When you do set up your meeting, make sure you have at least one ‘back up’ meeting Facilitator, who can cover the regular Facilitator if they are not available. Also, make sure your ‘Useful Numbers’ phone list is relevant to your local area.  Therefore, it would be advisable to add the number for your local NHS Mental Health Crisis Line Phone Number, for the area you are based in.
6. Remember that DDA runs Online Zoom Meetings, as well as in person Meetings. We may be able to give you a Zoom account, if that’s what you need, so please do ask!
7. If you wish to run an in-person meeting, you will obviously need to find a venue for your meeting. Unfortunately, DDA cannot help with venue costs but it is always worth asking local Drug/Alcohol/Mental Health/Community Resources if they are willing to offer a venue free, or at a reduced cost – on the basis that DDA Meetings serve the whole community.  In face-to-face meetings, we also encourage ‘Tradition 7’, in the form of a Collection in every meeting, which is also a way of raising funds to cover meeting costs.
8. Please also note that a DDA Workbook exists. This book was written by DDA’s Founder, Corbett Monica, who wrote it as an accompaniment to the ‘12+5 Steps’ of DDA.  It is entitled Dual Diagnosis Anonymous: A Journey Through the Twelve Steps Plus Five and is available through our website.  This book provides meditations and exercises for each of the ’12 + 5 Steps’ of DDA and is an essential piece of literature for anyone working through the Steps of DDA.

… and now you are ready to start your own meeting! 😊

… don’t forget we are always happy to help/advise, so do contact us at info@ddauk.org and we will respond as soon as we can!