Teen-Anon National 12-Step Fellowship for Addicted Teenagers Officially Goes National

Teen-Anon, the national 12-step, AA/NA style recovery fellowship just for teenagers addicted to alcohol and other drugs officially is going national after 2 1/2 years of perfecting the program.

Although begun in late 1999, Teen-Anon, the only
national 12-step recovery fellowship for addicted
teenagers, is 'officially' going national around Labor Day, with the goal of expanding the groups from 20 communities to over 200 in the next year.

Citing the 'enormous need' of teens and their families for the support groups tailored especially to teens 13-18, funder/organizer
Don Fass pointed out that, 'still after all these years, 80% of teenagers abusing alcohol and other drugs get no treatment of any kind for their substance abuse problems and families, schools and secular and faith-based youth groups in every community continue to be devastated by youth drug use.'

Operated by a a small San-Francisco/Oakland-based
nonprofit, Streetcats Foundation for Youth, the Teen-Anon groups, while based on the 12-step recovery model that has been successful for more than 60 years, have their own meeting syllabus and material specifically tailored to keep teenagers engaged and with peers their own age.

Groups are already running in towns and cities from Anaheim, California to Eau Clair, Wisconsin and Miles City, Utah. A grant from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation is making possible the beginning of groups in high schools throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Workbooks, Group Leader Guides and other materials have been created for youthful substance abusers in general and for culturally-specific groups of youth: Christian teens, Jewish teeens, Gay, Lesbian and questioning teens and
bilinqual Hispanic teens. Materials for Asian-Pacific Islander and African-American youth will follow.

Groups must register with the national organization and use its materials and unlike other support groups, group leaders must be 23 or older and have 3 years of recovery under the belts. Meeting 'secretarys,' who actually conduct the meetings are chosen from among the teen members of each group.

Streetcats is also about to begin similar college-based 'Young and Recovering' recovery groups on college campuses for older youth, as campus alcohol and drug use continues to soar.

Teen-Anon has its own web site at
www.teen-anon.com and information about leading a local group can be gotten by sending a self-addressed stamped #10 envelope to Teen-Anon,
P.O. Box 191396, San Francisco, Ca 94119. TA can also be reached at 866-227-3709 or by email to
teenanon3@yahoo.com