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 District 5 Al-Anon/Alateen

 

For Professionals and Students 

Overview

Literature

Fact Sheets

What Do Local Professionals Say About the Al-Anon program?

 

 

Please note: Some documents linked on this page are in PDF files that can only be viewed with Download Adobe Acrobat Reader Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. This software is free and downloadable from the Adobe Web Site.

 

Thank you for your interest in the Al-Anon and Alateen programs. Al-Anon works cooperatively with professionals and institutions that provide services to people affected by another person’s alcoholism. Al-Anon participation is compatible with and can be complimentary to professional counseling and medical treatment.  A 2006 survey of Al-Anon membership revealed that about 36% of Al-Anon members were influenced to attend their first Al-Anon meeting by a professional!

 

Our home page and newcomer’s page provides information about the Al-Anon and Alateen programs.  Our meetings page provides a list of Al-Anon, Alateen, and Al-Anon Adult Children meetings in the District 5, which serves the area in and around Washtenaw County, Michigan, including Ann Arbor, Belleville, Chelsea, Saline, and Ypsilanti. You can learn about how Al-Anon is organized by visiting our structure page.  Al-Anon World Services provides information and publications targeted to informing professionals about our program.  For your information and convenience, the Al-Anon World Service Office also permits us to post some of their publications below. You can also visit the Al-Anon World Services web site area for professionals for additional information. 

 

Types of Al-Anon meetings are described on our newcomer’s page.  Closed Al-Anon meetings are attended by anyone who feels his or her life has been or is being affected by alcoholism.  Open Al-Anon meetings are meetings where Al-Anon/Alateen members tell their stories to anyone interested in hearing about the family disease of alcoholism. Non-members such as observers or students are welcome to attend open Al-Anon meetings to learn about recovery in the Al-Anon program. Currently there are no registered open Al-Anon meetings in the District 5 area; there are occasional open Al-Anon meetings in Wayne, Oakland, Lenawee and Monroe Counties and in other areas of Michigan (please see our links page for information on how to contact an Al-Anon Information Service to ask about locating an open Al-Anon Al-Anon meeting in the area you are interested in.) Observers or students who are interested in learning more about recovery in the Al-Anon program are encouraged to attend an open Al-Anon meeting, or to contact us.  

 

Al-Anon does not advise members to take or to avoid any particular course of action, or to engage or not to engage any particular resources. Al-Anon literature states that members may benefit from tapping additional resources, and encourages members to engage resources and/or obtain professional assistance that may be helpful to them.

 

What do professionals say about the Al-Anon program? 

We asked some professionals who work or live in the Southeast Michigan area to share their thoughts about the Al-Anon program, and their experiences with how participation in Al-Anon has impacted their clients. We believe this information will be helpful for newcomers who are gathering information to help them decide if trying out Al-Anon might be right for them, as well as for other professionals and students who would like to learn more about how Al-Anon can help their clients. 

 

Al-Anon is not allied with any religion, sect or denomination. Members of any faith and of no faith are all equally welcome. Per Al-Anon’s Traditions 6 and 10, Al-Anon has no opinions about, is not affiliated with and does not endorse any outside enterprises or organizations, and does not support or oppose any matters outside of the Al-Anon program. The opinions expressed in this section are those of the writers; their inclusion does not imply endorsement of any organization, business, practice, religion, denomination or publication. We are grateful to all who have shared their professional experiences with Al-Anon on this web site!   

 

“Your First Al-Anon Meeting”: from Jeff Jay and Debra Jay: please click here! Jeff and Debra Jay are addiction specialists and interventionists.  They are co-authors of "Love First: A New Approach to Intervention," which is a Hazelden Guidebook. Debra Jay is also the author of "No More Letting Go: The Spirituality of Taking Action Against Alcoholism and Drug Addiction" and co-author of “Aging and Addiction: Helping Older Adults Overcome Alcohol or Medication Dependence.” Jeff Jay is the co-author of "At Wit's End: What You Need to Know When a Loved One Is Diagnosed with Addiction and Mental Illness."

 

“A Treatment Professional’s Experience”: from James Balmer: please click here!  Contributed by James Balmer; President, Dawn Farm Community of Programs.

 

“An Obstetrician’s Experience”: from Carl Christensen, MD, Ph.D.: please click here! Contributed by Carl Christensen, MD, Ph.D.; obstetrician and addictionologist; Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wayne State and the Detroit Medical Center; Associate Residency Director of the Detroit Medical Center; Medical Director of the Eleonore Hutzel Recovery Center; Medical Director of Dawn Farm; Associate with Pain Recovery Solutions.  

“From a Psychotherapist”: from Perry H. Engstom: please click here!  Contributed by Perry H. Engstom, LMSW, psychotherapist.

 

“Alateen/Al-Anon and Students”: from Mark Schuby: please click here!  Contributed by Mark Schuby, MSW, Student Assistance Coordinator, Saline Area Schools.

 

“What Al-Anon Offers”: from Renee Baumunk: please click here! Contributed by Renee A. Baumunk, CPS (Certified Prevention Specialist.) 

 

“Reflection on Al-Anon”: from Ken Wilson: please click here! Contributed by Ken Wilson; Senior Pastor, Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor.

 

“One Professional’s Experience”: from ernie kurtz: please click here! Contributed by Ernest Kurtz, Ph.D. (Harvard 1978) Adjunct Assistant Research Scientist (than which rank there is no lower) The University of Michigan

 

 

 

Al-Anon Publications and Information for Professionals

Al-Anon World Services produces materials referred to as “Conference-Approved Literature” (CAL.) Al-Anon conference-approved literature provides a valuable resource to help people learn about Al-Anon, including professionals, students, and potential members.  The Al-Anon World Service Office web site “resources for professionals” page provides several pamphlets that may be helpful to specific professions as well as for helping individual clients to identify with Al-Anon as a resource that can help them. 

 

Additional information about Al-Anon literature is available on our literature page. A complete listing of Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature and an order form is available in the literature area of the Al-Anon World Services web site.  The materials below are all Al-Anon publications which are targeted to professionals:

(All of the following are reprinted with permission of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA)

 

An overview of the Al-Anon program for professionals is provided by the Al-Anon publication, Fact Sheet For Professionals (S-37),

“Fact Sheet for Professionals” (S-37) is reprinted with permission of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

 

Guidelines for Al-Anon and Alateen meetings held in institutions have been developed by the Al-Anon World Services Office. Al-Anon meetings that are held in institutions (including treatment centers, hospitals, clinics, mental health service providers, shelters, juvenile homes, correctional facilities, rehabilitation organizations, and others) often provide a newcomer with his or her first exposure to Al-Anon/Alateen.  Institutional meetings are facilitated by experienced Al-Anon/Alateen members. Guidelines for institutional meetings can be viewed here.

“Al-Anon/Alateen Institutions Group Meetings” (S-22) is reprinted with permission of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

 

Additional fact sheets include the following:

 

Spiritual Leaders

“Spiritual Leaders” fact sheet (OS1) is reprinted with permission

of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

To Doctors

 

To Doctors” fact sheet (OD2) is reprinted with permission

of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

To a Lawyer

“To a Lawyer” fact sheet (OL3) is reprinted with permission

of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

To the Police

“To the Police” fact sheet (OP4) is reprinted with permission

of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

To My Teacher

“To My Teacher” fact sheet (OT5) is reprinted with permission

of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

Human Services Professional

“Human Services Professional” fact sheet (OH6) is reprinted with permission

of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

Student Assistance Professional

“Student Assistance Professional” fact sheet (OSP7) is reprinted with permission

of ©Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.

 

We thank you for visiting us and for your interest in learning about the Al-Anon and Alateen programs! If you have questions or comments that you would like to direct to District 5 of Al-Anon, please contact us!

 

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