Starting a new SLAA Meeting

Table of Contents

Carrying the Message

Our 12th step encourages us to “carry the message of recovery”. And there’s no better way to do that than to start a fresh SLAA meeting.

We encourage you to try — and our traditions tell us that

Any two or more persons gathered for mutual aid in recovering from sex and love addiction may call themselves an SLAA group, provided that as a group they have no other affiliation.
The Twelve Traditions of SLAA

Resources for your new Meeting

Group Starter Kit.pdf
Editable Sample Meeting Format.rtf
List your new meeting on the Australian meeting calendar.
Register a new group with SLAA Fellowship World Services
Purchase discounted Group Literature Start-up Pack or Anorexia Group Starter Kit from the Australian Intergroup Literature Store
Subscribe to the Intergroup newsletter, to receive updates, on events, new meetings, literature, latest Journal, Intergroup news…
SLAA is a Not-for-Profit organisation
Public Liability Insurance is required by some venues. The Australian Intergroup has a national policy covering in-person and virtual meetings based in Australia.
Tips for safer zoom meetings

Intergroup Zoom Accounts for use by Meetings

The Australian Intergroup has Zoom Pro Accounts which can be used to host meetings. Email the webmaster for details.

In line with the Tradition 7, groups that use the Intergroup Zoom accounts are requested to contribute to Intergroup. This may be from the group or from group members.

Tradition 7. Every SLAA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
The 12 Traditions of SLAA

Start-up funds for new Meetings

The Australian Intergroup supports the starting of new in-person meetings by offering repayable start-up funds for costs like

room rental deposit
initial advance rent
printing

This does not cover ongoing costs like prudent reserve or ongoing rent.

Email treasurer@slaa.org.au for more information

Starting an in-person Meeting

To get started, we strongly encourage you to read the chapter on “Starting an SLAA Group” in the SLAA Basic Text.

Decide what rent you can afford – paying too much rent is one of the major challenges new meetings face. Organisations such as councils and churches may give discounts on their normal rent for non-profit organisations like 12 step meetings, but you’ll have to ask.

Choose a venue – public or private. Try looking at where other 12 step fellowships hold their meetings to get ideas.

Choose a date and time. Keep in mind the 4th tradition and try not to have a negative impact on existing in-person meetings.

Appoint a Group Representative to connect with Intergroup.

Find new members for your meeting, by making contact with local rehabs, therapists and churches.

The 8 Core Documents of SLAA

These documents are frequently used in SLAA Meetings.

SLAA HOW Meeting Starter Kit

The following links may be useful for setting up a HOW meeting: