BEST PRACTICES: WELCOMING NEWCOMERS
Foot Steps places a priority on supporting newcomer and those returning from relapse. It’s great to say “newcomers are welcome!” and even better to have a specific process to support them.
Here is a process that some meetings use
- Preparation: There is a service position of Newcomer Greeter
- This person is co-hosted
- This person renames “Greeter of Newcomers” or something similar. This is to be sure that if participant names are shortened, it doesn’t show as “Newcomer…”
- Format/Script: In the script, the moderator
- Introduces the Newcomer Greeter, who waves and raises hand
- Encourage Newcomers to stay after the meeting in the car park/parking lot
- In the Chat: The Newcomer Greeter puts in chat to Newcomers
- Their name and contact info
- An invitation to privately chat with Newcomers during the meeting (answer questions, etc.)
- Encouragement to go to six different meetings
- Encouragement to stay after the meeting in the car park / parking lot
Sample Post to Chat at the Beginning of the meeting
I’m ____ and I am your newcomer greeter today. I am here to answer any questions anyone may have during this meeting. You can send them directly to me in the chat. All are invited to stay after the meeting for our virtual parking lot where there will be newcomer time. If you prefer you can contact me on…
Together we get better!
- In Car Park
- Moderator announces that the meeting is being turned over to the Newcomer greeter.
- It is important to emphasize that this time is for newcomers – hold any car park chat until after newcomer/returnee time.
- Be welcoming!
- Are there any Newcomers?
- “You are the most important person in the room”
- Do you have any questions?
- Check out chat for links
- We recommend that you go to six different meetings
- Are there any Returnees? “Welcome home!”
- Post the three Newcomer links
- Post Relapse links
- Moderator announces that the meeting is being turned over to the Newcomer greeter.
Three preferred links:
- Three preferred links:
- Link to Newcomer Info:
- If you are looking for a sponsor or are able to sponsor you can join this WhatsApp group to try to connect with a sponsor or sponsee:
- Link to literature “Where Do I Start, Everything a Newcomer Needs to Know!”
- Other Newcomer Links
- OA Literature
- Free pdf of the AA Big Book
- Schedule of all Foot Steps recovery meetings
- Recovery from Relapse Links
- An Action Plan for reclaiming and retaining our abstinence
- Been Slipping and Sliding? A Reading and Writing Tool (From the Twelfth-Step-Within Handbook)
- Relapsed? A video from Lifeline online – may help you understand how you got here
- Relapse Prevention – A useful document from OA Virtual Region
A final note
It is possible to include “Newcomers” in the meeting name or check the Specific Focus “Newcomers”. We usually see that these meetings focus on Steps 1-2-3, The First 12 Days, or other topics very specific to newcomers.