ASCA* Meeting Tour

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ASCA Meeting Tour
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse ProgramCreated
by The Morris Centerwww.ascasupport.org
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Good evening and welcome to ASCA, my name is
Scott and I will be the co-secretary for this
meeting along with Mary.

• So begins a typical ASCA meeting.
• We will now take you on a tour of how a meeting
  works.

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Meeting Format

• We run each meeting according to a script

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ASCA Meeting Format (Opening)

• 1 Co-Facilitator One
• Good evening and welcome to ASCA. My name is
  __________ and I will be the Co-Secretary for
  this meeting along with __________. As we begin
  our meeting, let us pause for a moment of
  silence, to reflect on what we are feeling and
  what we want to accomplish here today.
• Pause for about 30 seconds.
• The purpose of ASCA is to bring together within
  a nurturing and supportive community, we who were
  abused as children either physically, sexually,
  or emotionally. Our meetings empower us to
  transform our identities from victims, to
  survivors, to thrivers. We will now pass around
  the Telephone Support Sign-Up list. Signing the
  telephone support list is totally voluntary.
• 2 Co-Facilitator Two
• By participating in this meeting we all
  agree to honor and abide by the guidelines
  contained in the Welcome to ASCA handout, the
  philosophy and spirit of ASCA, as well as any
  interventions made by the Co-Secretaries....
• The script continues for several pages.

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Benefits of the Script

• Safety
• The Morris Center put a lot of thought into the
  format and piloted the script many times with
  many different groups
• Consistency
• Reduces anxiety
• Participants know what to expect
• Reduces chance of diversion from format
• Less pressure on facilitators
• Co-facilitators can rely on the script to guide
  the meeting
• Co-facilitators can both participate and lead
  because the script reminds them exactly what to
  say and do from beginning to end

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Many ASCA groups rotate their meeting focus each
week.

• Lets take a closer look!

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Rotational Meetings

• A Open topic (Week 1)
• B Step study (Week 2)
• ASCA is built on a 21 step program designed for
  adult survivors of child abuse
• C Topic study (Week 3)
• Topics include self-esteem, depression,
  confronting abusers, suicidal thoughts, self-help

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Facilitators

• Co-facilitators
• ASCA meetings have two leaders to ease pressure
  and diffuse authority
• Co-facilitators follow meeting script but may
  need to intervene if meeting procedures are
  violated
• The Morris Center offers training in person (in
  several cities) or via long-distance

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How ASCA Meetings Flow

• Opening Comments by Co-Secretaries, Readings (15
  minutes)
• Presenter (maximum 15 minutes)
• Feedback to Presenter (10 minutes)
• Shares (maximum 5 minutes each)
• Closing Comments (5 minutes)
• Announcements Closing (5 minutes)
• Total time 1½ to 2 hours, depending on group
  size and group charter (group may limit meetings
  to shorter time).

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1. Opening Comments, Readings

• List of 21 steps
• Statement of philosophy
• Four paragraphs of affirmations concerning the
  journey of recovery (Start with statement 1 We
  are here today to face our past and reclaim our
  lives as survivors of childhood abuse. We know
  intuitively or objectively that we were
  physically, sexually, or emotionally abused as
  children.
• Readings on steps
• Use in Rotation B step-oriented meetings
• One-page elaboration on step of the day, with
  suggested exercises
• Readings on topics
• Use in Rotation C topic-oriented meetings
• Brief half-page readings on topic of the day

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2. Presenter

• Speaker shares up to 15 minutes on personal
  experiences, feelings, thoughts
• Timer notifies presenter when he/she has 1 minute
  remaining

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Contents of Presenters Share

• Differ from person to person, meeting to meeting
• Present talk about current state of emotions,
  relationships, work
• Past talk about childhood, emerging memories
• Future talk about future plans, hopes, fears
• Speaker often helps set the tone for the days
  step or topic.

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Examples of Shares

• Hi my name is Charlie. (pause) Im so depressed
  today. Darn it, Ive been depressed for twenty
  years. But it is getting better. (pause) When I
  was a kid, I was my fathers punching bag.
• Hi my name is Sue. For a long time, I thought
  that there was no way I was ever going to recover
  from my childhood. But over time.

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3. Feedback to Presenter

• Volunteers raise hands
• Presenter chooses who will speak
• Feedback consist of supportive comments
• Feedback is for presenters benefit - no
  mini-shares, judgment, analysis, or advice
• Examples
• What you described must have been difficult and
  painful for you. I feel sad that you had to go
  though all that junk.
• I respect your courage to do what you did. I
  feel inspired and hopeful.

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4. Shares

• Tag shares
• Each speaker gets 3 5 minutes, then chooses
  next speaker from among those who raise their
  hands
• No cross-talk
• Speaker talks about self, own experience and
  feelings
• No comments on or reference to another persons
  share
• Voluntary
• Shares are voluntary
• No one has to share

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More on Shares

• Speaker decides what he or she wants to talk
  about
• Timer notifies speaker when 1 minute remains for
  his or her share
• Tag shares continue until there are no more
  volunteers - or until 15 minutes remain for the
  meeting

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5. Closure

• Each person has 30 seconds to say a few words on
  their current emotions
• A person who does not wish to speak says pass
• Example Im feeling tired but hopeful. Im glad
  to be here tonight.

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6. Announcements Closing

• Announcements on ASCA meeting business matters
  and meeting logistics
• Collection of contributions
• Voluntary, depending on group charter
• Generally used for room rental, literature,
  training, website listing, donations to The
  Morris Center

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Closing Statement (recited by whole group)

• We have come together to face our past, united
  in survival, determined to rebuild our lives, by
  healing the pain, and transforming our shame.
• And so our ASCA meeting closes.

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Final Thoughts

• ASCA meetings are a terrific device for sharing
  and healing
• The format becomes familiar and easy to manage
  after one or two run-throughs
• ASCA groups help build a feeling of community -
  that we are not alone in our journey

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Thank you for taking this tour!

• You are on a journey in which you do not have to
  travel alone any more. You can do it!
• Start your own ASCA meeting.
• infoascasupport_at_gmail.com