Here's the summary of the Group Leaders' Manual as it is now. It
will
have some revisions no doubt, plus more will be added about the kinds
of problems that come up in running S.A. meetings.

If the paragraph lining is uneven, click "Show Message Option," and
then click "Fixed With Font." That should solve most of the problem.

Bless you all, --
John P
===================================


GROUP LEADERS' MANUAL (Summary by John P.)


Contents:


--Getting Written Information on How to Form an S.A. Group and Run a
Meeting
--Finding a Place to Have the S.A. Meeting
--Deciding Time Arrangements of Meeting
--Getting the Word Out About the New Meeting
--Advanced Activities in Getting the Word Out
--Preparing for the First Meeting
--The First Meeting of the New S.A. Group and the Meeting Format
--Group Consciousness Meetings and Getting Feedback
--Normal Problems in S.A. Groups


--Getting Written Information on How to Form an S.A. Group and Run a
Meeting


I talked to Joanne V. and she says that she is getting calls every
week from people who want to start S.A. groups. Normally, the next
step would be for us to make sure that the beginner S.A. group leader
had a copy of the S.A. Blue Booklet to make sure he or she
understands
what S.A. is all about, and also a copy of the S.A. Group Leaders
Manual to tell the method for how to form a group and how to run a
meeting. Then a veteran S.A. group leader normally would contact the
beginner leader to provide support over the phone.


During this interim period we don't have the ability to get the Blue
Booklet and the Group Leaders Manual out to people, and we don't have
the resources to enable phone contact with veteran S.A. group
leaders. So we are improvising.


Beginner S.A. group leaders should read this summary of the Group
Leaders' Manual, as well as keep current with what's happening with
S.A. by reading the S.A. eLetters, posted at the S.A. Information
Group at Google (link below). Much of the key information that is in
the Blue Booklet can be found at this webpage below
(from "Information
for New Group Leaders" and "Schizophrenics Anonymous-Program
Description" entries at the S.A. Google groups webpages). The Blue
Booklet summary info is at:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-
anonymous/browse_thread...


Joanne will be available for phone support to beginner group leaders.
It's a matter of getting the beginner group leader her phone number,
in a manner that is reasonably privacy safe. For now, write me at
the
e-mail address below, and then I'll send you Joanne's phone number.
If my e-mail address does not come through in the format you are
reading this in, post your request at the Yahoo S.A. Discussion Group
(link at the bottom of this eLetter) then I'll send you Joanne's
phone
number using that medium. My e-mail address is:


jppa...@...


-------------
--Finding a Place to Have the S.A. Meeting


To start, the beginning S.A. group leader learns more about S.A.
through the S.A. Blue Booklet, the S.A. Group Leaders Manual, and
phone support from a veteran S.A. group leader (or during this
interim period by refering to materials in this Google S.A.
information group).


After this, the next step is to find a place where the S.A. meeting
can take place. The beginning S.A. group leader approaches an
organization in the community and asks permission from the top
management there to hold regular meetings in one of their meeting
rooms. Because S.A. itself doesn't collect dues, you ask the
organization if you can use the meeting room free of charge. This
usually works, particularly because meetings always take place in
benevolent non-profit organizations or human service governmental
organizations.


Here are some examples of organizations where S.A. meetings have
taken
place:
Mental Health Association offices (Mental Health America)
Alliance for the Mentally Ill offices (Alliance on Mental Illness)
Clubhouses
Drop-in centers
State psychiatric hospitals
Private hospitals
Churches
Community Mental Health agency offices
Salvation Army centers
Mental health clinics
Non-profit organization offices
Day hospitals


----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----­-----------


--Deciding Time Arrangements of Meeting


Around the same time the new S.A. group leader is finding a meeting
place for the S.A. group, he or she needs to be coming to some idea
of
what day of the week would be a good time to meet, what time of the
day, and about how long the meeting should be.


The original S.A. meeting in the Detroit area met for two hours each
week on Sunday afternoons. There has been a lot of variation on
meeting times since then by the different S.A. groups. Meetings
almost are always weekly, though in some situations they can be more
than once a week (as in some mental health day programs) or once or
twice a month (as in some of the prison or jail groups).


We have had S.A. meetings on all days of the week with no problem.
Sometimes religious observances are a factor though in this. Time of
day considerations vary. Morning groups are often effective in
formal
psychiatric programs, though most S.A. meetings take place in the
afternoon or evening. Transportation of potential members, work
schedules, and time availability of a meeting room can play a role in
this figuring.


The amount of time for each meeting varies, though the average S.A.
meeting lasts an hour. Sometimes meetings are scheduled for an hour,
and run over. The group leader will need to have a sense of the
members' situations regarding any time run-overs.


Once a meeting time is set and a permission to use a meeting room is
secured, then it's a matter of deciding what date the first meeting
will be, and then making preparations for the first meeting.


------------------------------------------------------------


--Getting the Word Out About the New Meeting


Once all the arrangements are set for when and where to have the new
S.A. group, it's a matter of letting people know that the new meeting
is going to happen. There are a number of things that S.A. leaders
have done on this in the past that have worked.


First, most local newspapers have community calendar type sections
that will print for free small two or three sentence notices of
things
that are happening in the community. Arrange for such a notice to be
put into the paper. The notice might go like this:


Schizophrenics Anonymous, a free self-help group for those with
schizophrenia-related disorders, has meetings at (location--include
address) on (day of week) at (time). For information call (group
leader's first name) at (phone number).


After this, try to create a single page flyer about the meeting. The
flyer would have the same type of information as given above, but
would be appropriate to post in public places. If you have access to
a computer or know someone who does, that would be a big help in
making the flyer. Public libraries often have free access to
computers, and the flyer can be easily created via the word-
processing
software. Once the flyers is made, copy machines at a library or
elsewhere can be used to make copies of the flyer.



>From here, let community mental health agencies know about your


meeting. Especially during this period of decentralized referral,
contact your local National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and
Mental Health America (MHA) affiliates and let them know about the
meeting. These organizations have also gone by the name of Alliance
for the Mentally Ill and Mental Health Association in the past. If
you
have a flyer, give these organizations copies.

The new S.A. group leader will want to make sure that staff and
patients at their Community Mental Health (CMH) program know about
the
meeting. The CMH is usually the countywide public program providing
psychiatric and mental health social services to the serious mentally
ill. The CMH usually runs one or more psychiatric clinics, and often
operates clubhouses and drop-in centers.


The individual group leader will have to gauge how much energy he or
she has to do the organizational work involved in getting the word
out
about the meeting. At the least, it would be good to have the flyer
about the meeting posted at the main CMH office and the CMH clinics.
Also, it would be good for the flyer to be posted at the clubhouses
and the drop-in centers, and any other of the CMH operating
agencies.


If the group leader has the energy, it would be good to schedule in a
meeting with the appropriate staff leader at the main CMH office in
order to better explain what S.A. is all about, and what the meeting
is trying at accomplish. Similar meetings might be arranged at the
CMH clinics. Many of the potential members of the S.A. group would
be
referred by professional CMH staff in the main office and in the
clinics.


As mentioned earlier, it is important for referral purposes for a new
S.A. group leader to contact the local NAMI and NMHA affiliates to
get
the word out about the new S.A. meeting. And, it is also important to
contact the local Community Mental Health agency for similar
purposes. By this time, it would be good to have a flyer in shape to
post in public places and to have a written notice (at no charge)
placed in the community calendar section of the local newspaper.


The above are sort of basic things that leaders of new S.A. groups
do. No kinds of group rules are violated if they aren't done, it's
just that potential members of the new group in the community will
have less ability to know about the new meeting if these sorts of
efforts aren't made. At the same time, this process enables the new
group leader to become better known in the local mental health
community.


Normally, the new group leader would give staff in referral
organizations a copy of the S.A. pamplet and other S.A. literature as
a reference point for our self-help group and its ideas. For the time
being, this will be hard to do because we do not yet have an umbrella
organziation to get the literature out to people. As a partial
solution, please refer the staff people to this Google group for
S.A.,
at this web address:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-anonymous


And it particular, this info page on S.A. at Google:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-
anonymous/browse_thread...


We recognize, at the same time, that group leaders only have so much
energy, and it is important not to try to overextend one's abilities
and energies in all of this effort of letting the public know about
the meeting.


--Advanced Activities in Getting the Word Out


To some extent, attendance at an S.A. meeting in a locality will
depend on how well it is known in the local mental health community
that the S.A. meeting exists. The initial activity in this regard
involves the new S.A. leader "getting the word out," as the saying
goes. Here are some more ideas, if the group leader has the energy
to try them. Be careful not to burn yourself out in this effort.
Maybe space it out over a period of months.


1. Post the S.A. meeting flyer at the library, CMH affiliate
organizations, county health department, and other places where
mental
health patients are likely to seek help. Note that often one must
get
permission from staff before posting flyers at such organizations.


2. Contact area private psychiatric clinics and psychiatric hospitals
about the S.A. meeting. Perhaps send the flyer with a cover letter.
Send flyer to area private psychiatrists. Be prepared to explain
what
the meeting is trying to do; in this, focus on the mission statement
of S.A. (found on the S.A. description page at the S.A. Google
group).


3. See if the local radio station or television station will run a
community service spot for free on the S.A. meeting. Try to keep the
meeting announcement put regularly in the community calendar section
of the newspaper.


4. Ask the local NAMI and NMHA to run a notice of the meeting in
their
newsletter. Ask other local mental health organizations to carry a
notice of the meeting in their newsletters. They may say No for
various internal reasons, but you tried for good purposes.


5. This would be a hard one but if you have the energy you could try
it--Local city councils or town councils often have a public comment
periods on their official meeting agenda. Perhaps you or someone you
know could announce there that the S.A. meeting is happening at the
council meeting. Perhaps you would make valuable contacts for
helping S.A. members through this type of action. It would be best
though not to do this if your anonymity would be compromised. In
regards to this, always use your anonymous name--your first name and
last initial. My anonymous name is John P.


These are some of the ideas for publicizing a new S.A. meeting.
Throughout this, you should be in contact with your mental health
professional and getting wise advice on when you may be putting too
much energy into S.A. Everyone has a different level of recovery and
energy level. The S.A. leadership experience should be a good one,
and the wisdom of your mental health professional should temper
things
to assure this happens. Avoiding burnout is a priority for you and
the group as a whole.


-----------------------------------------------


--Preparing for the First Meeting


Once the new S.A. group leader has done as much as possible to get
the
word out about the S.A. group, what are some of the preparations that
are good to do before the first meeting? Here are some ideas on
this.


One rather essential idea would be to have about 10 copies made of
the
S.A. steps to be placed on the table at each seat. This will enable
each member to be able to choose a step when it is his or her turn at
the meeting. This was the essential piece of literature available at
the first S.A. group in the years 1985-1989. Copies of the steps can
be made from the S.A. information page at Google. The only other
piece
of S.A. literature available in those early years was a small printed
pamphlet about S.A. that was given to new members. If this pamphlet
is
not available during this interim period, there's no sweat. The S.A.
information at Google is at this address:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-
anonymous/browse_thread...


It would be worth it to make a copy of this entire above document
from
Google. It has the format of an S.A. meeting that you can use, and
it
has copies of the S.A. Mission Statement, Guiding Principles,
Statement of Purpose, and the Welcoming Statement that can be read at
the meeting.


Another small piece of literature that many group leaders gave to new
members was the one page Schizophrenia Fact Sheet. If we are unable
to get this literature out during this interim period, a new group
leader can make one if he or she wishes from a similar fact sheet
printed in the S.A. eLetter dated 9-24-07, and posted at the Google
website, at this address:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-
anonymous/browse_thread...


Once we have an umbrella organization again, these literature along
with the S.A. Blue Booklet will be available through the postal
mails,
and the preparations for the first meeting of the new group will be a
lot easier
One good idea would be for the new S.A. leaders to read over several
times the suggested format for S.A. meetings. This can be found at
the S.A. information webpage at our Google info group at this
address:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-
anonymous/browse_thread...


Nearly all of the associated data needed for the meeting can be found
at this webpage, including the S.A. steps, S.A. guiding principles,
S.A. mission statement and statement of purpose, the Welcoming
Statement, and a short description of the S.A. group philosophy.


One area where you might need to improvise is the affirmation
reading. Most folks do not have copies of the ACOA book on
affirmations. What can be used instead is a short reading of one to
three affirming quotations of thinkers throughout history. There are
these types of quotations every week in the S.A. eLetters (posted at
the Google S.A. group). Also I've compiled a listing of 200 such
quotations, which are available on the web. To access these 200
quotations (50 quotations about hope and 150 hope-inspiring
quotations), click:


http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Pantheon/8320/HQUOTES.htm


To access past copies of the S.A. eLetter, where there are other
hope-
inspiring quotations, click:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-anonymous


Group leaders may also read the Welcoming Statement at the beginning
of the meeting when there are new members at the meeting.


--The First Meeting of the New S.A. Group and Meeting Format


All of the discussion up to this point in this series of articles has
been leading up to the point when you, as a new S.A. group leader,
have prepared for first S.A. meeting in your locality. Last week we
discussed what to do on the day of the meeting, just before the
meeting starts. Now let's say a few words about what to do as the
meeting is about to begin.


In a few words--let it happen. The new members have by now walked in
and are seated around the table. It would be good to greet them,
find
out their names, and tell them your anonymous name (first name, last
initial). If you have some S.A. literature, as brochures or the
Schizophrenia Fact Sheet, you can hand them copies. It would be
best,
and a good policy in general, to begin the meeting at the time posted
to the public. Early or late starts are discouraged. Generally,
your
S.A. meeting will last an hour, but this can vary.


You can begin and proceed with the meeting, as written in the Meeting
Format Sheet. Simply read what is written. The S.A. Meeting Format
Sheet can be found at this webpage:


http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-
anonymous/browse_thread...


Don't get flustered if unpredicted things happen at the meeting.
We'll discuss some of the more common "unpredicted events" that can
happen in the coming weeks. Groups survive these events, and so will
yours. After the meeting, thank everyone for coming, and invite
everyone to come back. If you have a friendly group of folks,
perhaps
you might wish to meet at a local Burger King or something after the
meeting.


Once you get home after the meeting, silently take stock of what you
have done. You have taken the effort to organize and S.A. meeting.
You made it happen! Be happy with yourself. You are one of the
folks who are trying to make this world a better place.


--------------------------------------------------


--Group Consciousness Meetings and Getting Feedback


One way to get feedback on how your new S.A. meeting is going is to
ask your members how they feel. This would be through what we call a
Group Consciousness Meeting. It is held after the regular S.A.
meeting and any member is invited. You might even call it a feedback
meeting. Here, you simply ask members how they think the S.A. is
going. Members can have a free opportunity to express how they feel,
though you should feel no obligation to implement any suggested
changes or respond to unfair criticism. Some suggested changes would
be inappropriate for an S.A. meeting. For instance, if a member
wanted to change the format and group rules to reflect dogmas of a
particular religion he or she belongs to. Even though not every type
of input a member can make can be responded to, this does give
members
a chance to explain how they feel. And you will likely find out that
the members like the meeting just the way it is.


I led an S.A. group in a state psychiatric hospital for five years.
In the beginning the meeting was very difficult to manage. For the
first couple of months a psychiatric nurse was there to watch over
things. It was useful to have the a feedback meeting after every
formal S.A. meeting there to find out ways that I could have handled
things differently, particularly as specific situations arose. I
really saw those feedback meetings as ways I could learn to better
lead the group, and manage things when it got unruly. Soon, the
hospital had confidence that the co-leader and I could run the S.A.
group on our own, and the psychiatric nurse didn't need to come to
the
S.A. meetings any more. Those feedback meetings, after the regular
S.A. meetings, really made a difference.


--Normal Problems of S.A. Groups


Low Attendance. Oftentimes the beginning S.A. group leader is quickly
faced with a problem he or she may not have expected--low attendance
at meetings. Group leaders may have had some preconceived notion
ahead
of time about how many people would be coming to the S.A. meeting,
and
it is not uncommon for these expectations to fall short.


Sometimes this problem can be addressed with putting some more effort
into getting the word out about the existing meeting. Other times
it's a matter of waiting until the word gets out about the meeting.
If attendance is low, group leaders often feel disappointment on
this,
especially after all the work it took to set up the meeting.


Meeting group size can vary, but if there are three or four active
members at a meeting, it is plenty easy for heartfelt sharing to
extend through the usual hour length of the meeting. Small meeting
sizes can often engender these more in-depth understanding sessions
between group members. The members of a small group can get to know
one another in a much deeper sense than a larger group usually can.


What usually happens over time is that there will be a solid core of
regulars of the group--people who attend just about every week. And
then there is a larger set of group members who attend often enough
that the group leader and members remember their names and have some
understanding of how the person is doing (from group sharing). The
regulars end up knowing each other very very well. And that's a
byproduct of the people helping people process that goes on in an
S.A.
group--even when the helping is basically sharing of experiences,
feelings, and hopes at the S.A. meetings.


--MORE WILL BE ADDED TO THIS IN COMING MONTHS
=====================================
For more information about
Schizophrenics Anonymous.:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Pantheon/8320/SA.htm
(Note: Address and phone number of the Mental Health Association in
Michigan is out of date.)
----------
For the Google information group for S.A.:
http://groups.google.com/group/schizophrenics-anonymous?hl=en
------------
For the Yahoo discussion group for S.A.:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/schizophrenics-anonymous


NOTE: Earlier editions of the S.A. eLettter and the Schizophrenia
News Links are posted at the Google information group for S.A. (link
given above). Also, the S.A. eLetter and Schizophrenia News Links
will come to your e-mail inbox when published by signing up at the
S.A. Information Group at Google.