The LifeRing Service Center is conducting a survey of all LifeRing participants during January.  The questionnaire is designed to elicit membership suggestions for improving the organization's services, for the information of delegates to the upcoming LifeRing Congress.  Survey results will also form the basis of a planned article about LifeRing in a peer-reviewed professional journal.  The survey consists of 31 questions, some in multiple choice and some in essay format.  It is being made available both online, as an electronic survey, and in print form.  All LifeRing participants, whether on their first visit or veterans of many years, are asked to fill out the questionnaire.  LifeRing convenors are requested to set aside approximately 15 minutes of meeting time to allow participants to fill in the questionnaire, and to collect the results and send them to the Service Center.  More information about the survey is here.  -- 12/30/04
 

Popular recovery author Charlotte Kasl and veteran counselor Ronald E. Warner will be the guest speakers at the 2005 LifeRing Congress, Lifering CEO Marty Nicolaus has announced.  Kasl is best known in recovery circles as the author of Many Roads, One Journey: Moving Beyond the Twelve Steps, a groundbreaking work that opened many eyes to the larger universe outside the 12-step domain. Kasl was also a guest speaker at the 1999 Secular Recovery Conference in Berkeley, CA, a forerunner of the annual LifeRing Congresses.  Ronald E. Warner, a faculty member at the University of Toronto, is director of the certification program for Solution Focused Therapy, a secular counseling modality that discourages dwelling on the past and motivates clients to move toward their vision of a better future.  The LifeRing Congress will take place in Guelph, Ontario, Canada on April 29, 30, and May 1, 2005.  LifeRing Convenor Jason Kelly in Guelph advises that the event will be hosted by the University of Guelph.  Congress attendees will have the economical option of lodging in college dormitory rooms or of booking rooms at nearby hotels.  Details and registration forms will be available shortly. --12/29/04

Under the heading "LifeRing offers an option in recovery," the Contra Costa (CA) Times carried an article about LifeRing in its Dec. 23 issue.  Written by Theresa Harrington, the reporter who attended a LifeRing meeting earlier in the month (see item below), the article says, "In the Bay Area, hundreds of men and women in recovery have found help getting through the holidays -- and the rest of the year -- through LifeRing, a support group that offers a nonreligious alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous."  Click here for complete text on the newspaper's website (limited time only).  Click here for a printable version in online format (PDF). Click here for a printable version in print format. The Times is a daily newspaper, a member of the Knight-Ridder chain, serving a large, mainly suburban area east of San Francisco. 

LifeRing convenors Gail C., Katie F. and Marty N. met with Mike Menefee M.D., director of the Mills-Peninsula Recovery Center in Burlingame CA, and with six members of the Center's counseling staff, on Tuesday afternoon Dec. 14 to explain the LifeRing approach.  After a brief presentation and a question-answer session, staff reached consensus that the Center should host a LifeRing meeting, and in consultation with Gail, the future convenor, the time of Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. was settled on.  The new LifeRing meeting will start in the second week of January. Details will be announced.  -- 12/14/04

In response to a contact from LifeRing convenor Carola Z., reporter Theresa Harrington from the Contra Costa (CA) Times attended the Thursday evening LifeRing meeting at the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Walnut Creek on Dec. 9. The weekly paper, part of the Knight-Ridder chain, is planning a recovery feature in an upcoming edition.  Harrington introduced herself as a reporter at the beginning of the meeting and asked permission to sit in.  All the participants readily agreed, and also gave her permission to take notes, provided she did not publish names or identifying details. A very good meeting ensued, and Ms. Harrington stayed on afterward to ask questions and interview participants.  Carola Z., who initiated the contact, convenes the Monday noon women's meeting and the Friday noon holiday support group in Walnut Creek, a suburban town east of San Francisco.  -- MN 12/13/04

LifeRing convenors Katie F. and Marty N. met with Khatera Aslami, Director of Rehabilitation, and with Dawn Mills, a staff member of the Villa Fairmont Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in San Leandro CA, in the afternoon of Dec. 9.  After a brief discussion of the LifeRing approach and of patient confidentiality issues, Ms. Aslami led us on a tour of the 124-bed county-run facility.  Villa Fairmont provides "sub-acute" mental health care, meaning that patients have generally been stabilized and can expect to spend up to six months here.  Ms. Aslami estimated that from 50-90 per cent of the patients had substance abuse issues.  We were shown possible meeting rooms for a LifeRing meeting, and arrangements to schedule a LifeRing meeting at the facility were set in motion.  Katie, who convenes the LifeRing meeting in the closed psychiatric emergency ward at Herrick Hospital in Berkeley, among others, had arranged the appointment with Villa Fairmont staff.  -- MN 12/13/04

LifeRing has now been given equal presentation time in the education program for first-time driving-under-the-influence offenders at the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction (NCADA) in San Francisco. From now on these informational presentations will be made about three times a month by speakers from LifeRing.

The first of these presentations took place on December 2nd. LifeRing Convenor Gillian E. presented to about twenty clients at the NCADA office on Market Street, with LifeRing convenor Marty N. lending support. The surprise was that these people have not been mandated by the courts not to drink at all, they have only been mandated not to drink and drive. None of the attendees seemed to think that they had to stop drinking, or would admit that they had a serious problem with alcohol.

So this was a new experience in terms of how to talk about LifeRing and sobriety in general. The main theme of the presentation had to be letting these people know that sobriety was not the end of their lives – that there is fun and achievement after giving up the booze – and that LifeRing was available as a support should they ever decide, in the future, to become sober.

The group was very quiet and unresponsive as Gillian ran through the Three S’s of LifeRing. Things warmed up a bit after she organized the group into a circle to give them a better idea of what happens at a LifeRing meeting. This was a great example of how the ‘speaker and audience’ model excludes people, while the circle ‘we are all equal here’ model opens people up and allows them to talk. A lot of ground was eventually covered during the hour-long event.  -- Gillian Ellenby 12/9/04

P.S. LifeRing convenor Marty N. did the NCADA presentation on Wed. Dec. 8 to a different group of 16 first-time DUI offenders.  As with the previous presentation, the LifeRing talk directly followed a 45-minute talk by speakers representing Alcoholics Anonymous. 

LifeRing convenors Henry S., Gail C., and Marty N. gave a presentation about LifeRing to a packed room of 52 patients in the Early Recovery segment of the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Oakland CA on Tuesday evening Dec. 7. 

Henry, who co-convenes the Thursday evening LifeRing meeting at that facility, and is a regular participant in the Saturday morning LifeRing meeting there, knew almost everyone in the room personally because almost everyone had already attended LifeRing.  Henry spoke movingly of his own struggle to find recovery, and about the positive support he had found in LifeRing. 

Gail, who hopes to start a new meeting in the Peninsula soon, spoke about her childhood in Texas and about the fresh air that she found in LifeRing.  Marty concluded with brief reminiscences about his early recovery and about the features of LifeRing that he found most valuable. 

There was a lively and friendly question session, much of which focused on the issue whether the best part of LifeRing was the nonreligious atmosphere or the presence of crosstalk. The session ended with a solid round of applause for the three speakers.  Kaiser Program Coordinator Jeff Blair chaired the hour-long event, one in a series that dates back to 1995.  -- M.N. 12/13.04

Fourteen San Francisco Bay Area LifeRing convenors and future convenors met on Saturday Dec. 4 at the LifeRing Service Center for the monthly convenor workshop.  We spent approximately the first hour checking in with each other using the "How Was Your Week" format, and the second hour discussing convenor issues.  Among the convenor topics this month was a report on a recent breakthrough in getting LifeRing speakers invited at NCADA (National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction) programs, by Gillian E. (see story above), a report by Gail C. on a possible new meeting on the Peninsula coming soon, discussion on scheduling issues at Union City, how to help people survive the holidays, a preview of the '05 Congress, possible guest speakers there, and the upcoming membership survey scheduled for January.  While we discussed issues, our fingers were busy stuffing and sealing close to 100 envelopes containing the December local meeting schedule and other LifeRing brochures, addressed to referral sources in our database in each of the local counties where current LifeRing meetings are active. 

Please note: because of the January 1 holiday, the January convenor workshop will meet on Saturday January 8, 2005.  -- Marty N. 12/13/04

The Monday night LifeRing in Vancouver B.C. (Canada), founded by Jack McNeil in June of this year, has given birth to two additional LifeRing meetings in the city.  The new meetings are:

• Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m., at the Ravensong Health Center, 2450 Ontario Street, Vancouver; and
• Fridays, 7:00 p.m., at the Three Bridges Addiction Team, 1290 Hornby St., Third Floor, Board Room, also in Vancouver.

The first meeting of the Wednesday night group was Sept. 22 and the first meeting of the Friday night group was Oct. 1.  The convenors of both new meetings came out of the original Monday night meeting, which continues at the Three Bridges Addiction Team, 1290 Hornby St., Third Floor, Board Room.  Jack delayed announcing the new meetings until it was clear they were viable and had support.  -- 11/29/04

A new LifeRing support group meeting with "Holiday Survival" as its theme is starting the day after Thanksgiving in Walnut Creek, CA.  The group will meet from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Unity Center,  1871 Geary Road, Walnut Creek, Room 4. Everyone is welcome. The meeting will continue each week until at least Friday Dec. 31, founding convenor Carola Z. has announced. 

A new LifeRing meeting began Sunday night Nov. 14 for residents of Orenda Center, the 30-year old county-financed inpatient and outpatient treatment facility in Santa Rosa, California.  LifeRing convenors Marty N. of Oakland and Bob J., who founded the Tuesday evening LifeRing meeting in Santa Rosa, gave an introductory presentation about LifeRing to nearly 20 clients and staff on the first evening.  The new meeting will become a regular Sunday night feature exclusively for clients of the program, explained Orenda Center staff counselor Barbara Knight, who hosted the opening session.  There was lively interest from the participants, who attend a series of 12-step meetings on other nights during the week.  -- 11/14/04

A new LifeRing meeting in Nanaimo, B.C., is up and running, founding convenor Jack McNeil reports.  The group convenes every Tuesday evening at 7:30 in the Seaview Room of the Howard Johnson Harbourside Hotel at Terminal and Comox in Nanaimo.  The first meeting was on Oct. 26.  Please contact LifeRing BC toll-free at 1-877-752-1058 for further information.  -- 11/12/04

A new LifeRing meeting has opened on the University of Texas campus in Austin, founding convenor Patrick B. has announced.  The meeting is on Mondays from 7 to 8 pm in Room 1.218B in the School of Social Work (SSW) building. There is parking directly behind the building off of Red River.  The room is downstairs in the Student Resources section.  -- 10/27/04.  Addendum 11/15: Meeting temporarily suspended because of parking problem, see Meeting List.

A new LifeRing meeting for women has opened in Walnut Creek, CA, founding convenor Carola Z. has announced.  The first meeting takes place Monday Oct. 25.  The group's regular meeting time is from 12 noon to 1 pm on Mondays.  The meeting place is the Unity Center of Walnut Creek, 1871 Geary Road, Walnut Creek, Room 4. -- 10/25/04.  Addendum 11/19: The meeting will go to 1:30 p.m.

LifeRing convenor Katie F. of Berkeley presented LifeRing to a group of about 15 residents at the Golden Gate for Seniors, a recovery residence, in San Francisco on Aug. 31. The participants expressed interest in having a workbook study group in their facility.

LifeRing convenor Katie F. gave a presentation about LifeRing to a group of women in Ujima House, a prenatal care facility for women in Oakland, Cal, on Sept. 7.  Katie was invited back to make the presentation again in the future.

LifeRing convenor Marty N. gave a presentation about his recovery path in LifeRing to a group of 6 patients and two staff members at the Bayside Marin residential recovery facility in San Rafael, CA, on Sept. 30. 

LifeRing convenors Mike P. and Drew D. of Smithtown, N.Y., gave two presentations Oct. 10 and Oct. 13 at the Pederson-Krag Center North in Smithtown, which hosts a LifeRing meeting on the premises. The first presentation was to a group of patients in the Middle Recovery segment. LifeRing meeting participants Mark V and Louis A joined Mike P. for the Oct. 10 talk. Mike reports: "The talk to the Middle Recovery group was great! We had a very supportive pro-alternative counselor running the group, and lots of good give-and-take with clients. The feedback from clients was almost all positive."  Mike and Drew gave a presentation to center staff on Oct. 13, which was "a little more of a challenge" but positive overall.

LifeRing convenors Katie F. and Marty N. of Berkeley, joined by LifeRing member Bill M., gave a presentation about LifeRing to a group of about 40 patients in early recovery at the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Oakland CA on Oct. 12.  Virtually all the patients present had already attended at least one LifeRing meeting, and the response was strongly positive, with repeated loud applause at the end.  Kaiser staff counselor John Blair chaired the session, which is part of a regular series of presentations that began in 1995. There are five LifeRing meetings per week at this facility.

LifeRing convenors Gillian E. of San Francisco and Marty N. gave an informal lecture/presentation about LifeRing to a class of about 20 women in a course on Feminist Psychology at New College in San Francisco on Oct. 14. There was a lively question and answer session.  -- 10/25/04

A questionnaire survey of LifeRing participants is now in the pilot stage, with a draft questionnaire being tested on participants in several cities, LifeRing CEO Marty N. reported.  The draft questionnaire contains about 30 items that ask about LifeRing participation, personal history, and demographics.  "We're trying to do two things here," Marty said.  "One, to find out what people find most useful and least useful in what we do, so that we can serve people's recovery needs more effectively.  Two, the surveys will be the basis for an article about LifeRing participants that will appear in a peer-reviewed recovery professionals' journal."  The first batch of about three dozen responses collected by LifeRing convenor Craig O. from Pleasanton CA are now being studied, and feedback about the survey questionnaire is being collected. A copy of the draft questionnaire is available online for downloading as a PDF file. Once the questionnaire is finalized, it will be made available both on paper and as a web-based poll.  10/3/04

LifeRing participants and friends with media skills of any kind are invited to take part in the organization-wide LifeRing Media Committee, currently being re-organized. "We've worked hard on getting better known among referral sources in the treatment and mental health community," said LifeRing CEO Marty N. at the monthly Convenor's Workshop held in the LifeRing Service Center on Oct.2.  "We still have a lot more work to do in that area.  But it's time now that we started getting the word out to a larger public.  I know that we have a number of members with a background in media, and I'm sure there's others." Persons interested in helping to spread the word about LifeRing are asked to please contact the LifeRing Service Center.  10/3/04

The unhooked.com web site, along with lifering.com and lifering.org, were out of service for about 24 hours on Sept. 30-Oct. 1.  Viewers got an "Access Forbidden -- Permission Denied" message.  The Internet Service Provider (ISP) that hosts these sites had sent a series of email messages to the LifeRing Service Center advising that the credit card to which the account is billed had expired.  All of these emails were marked as spam and filtered out by the email filtering program provided by the same ISP. After a couple of frantic telephone calls, website service was restored in the afternoon of Oct. 1.  10/3/04

A brief mention of LifeRing in the syndicated "Dear Annie" newspaper column has brought nearly 50 letters to the LifeRing Service Center asking for more information. Most of the letters are from small towns in the Midwest and East. Gillian E., Secretary of LifeRing, has answered each inquiry with a personal letter enclosing LifeRing literature.  -- 10/3/04

October 2nd this year marked the twelfth anniversary clean and sober for current LifeRing CEO Martin Nicolaus (Marty N.).  "I'm very grateful to my family members, to my counselors at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program, and to the hundreds of people in LifeRing meetings who've given me their wisdom and support over the years," Marty said. "Sobriety has given me back my life. It's great to be free of alcohol and other addictive drugs. Getting clean and sober was one of the best decisions I've ever made." -- 10/3/04

Yesterday afternoon, myself and Jessica H. made a presentation to the staff of Career and Recovery Resources (CRR) here in Houston, which among its other programs operates an intensive outpatient program for court ordered persons.

I kept the presentation short and informal. I began by talking briefly about LifeRing's philosophy and demonstrating the way our support groups function. During different parts of the presentation, the six counselors present were presented with copies of Presenting LifeRing (the book designed for professional providers), and copies of the tools list I assembled. I also made the Recovery By Choice workbook and copies of both Keepers and the How Was Your Week convenor guide available for viewing during the presentation.

When I was finished speaking, Jess and I took questions and talked up our own experiences with LifeRing. It was a very positive experience, and we were both glad we had come.

It was decided by unanimous vote that we should be allowed a room to conduct a meeting there on a weekly basis. It will be held simultaneously with the best attended 12-step meeting at CRR, thereby truly providing their clients with an alternative to 12-step groups. Most of the clients, though not all, at CRR are court ordered, so we hope to have a good influx of people who are seeking refuge from the other program.

I think Jess and myself are both very excited about the future of LifeRing here in Texas, and this is just one step along the way. The new meeting will begin on Thursday Aug. 26, and will be held at the following time and location:

     Career and Recovery Resources
     2525 San Jacinto (corner of McGowen) 
     713-754-7000
     Every Thursday at 5:30 PM.

This meeting is accessible by both light rail and public buses. The new meeting is unfortunately going to be held on the same day of the week as the Houston meeting at First UU, which is not exactly what we had hoped for. However, Bill Brewer, the Team Lead Counselor at CCR, has offered to help us find a free and permanent home for a third area LifeRing meeting, to be held on Saturday nights, and we eagerly accepted his offer. With a little luck, we will have a third LifeRing meeting up and running within another month or two. -- John Price 7/30/04

On July 29, 2004 LifeRing members spoke to a group of about 18 Chemical
Dependency  clients at the Pederson-Krag Center North, where the  Smithtown NY group holds its weekly meeting. LifeRing members Mike P, Drew D and George W spoke and fielded questions for about 40 minutes. The question and answer period was very lively, and we got some very positive feedback(there was some shock and protest from committed 12 Steppers but not much). Most people got the basic message, the "Three S" philosophy, and understood that we're not in competition with AA/NA. Packets of literature were handed out and LifeRing books were passed around the room. There were strong expressions of support and interest from some participants. Overall, our first presentation was a success.  -- Mike P. 7/30/04

The Daily News in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, published an article featuring LifeRing in its Saturday July 24 edition. The story, on page 3 of the news section, says that "Persons with alcohol and drug addictions seeking help to get clean and sober now have a new alternative.  Called LifeRing, the self-help organization has been meeting weekly since March, says Jack McNeil, the Qualicum Beach resident who brought the California-based program to Central Vancouver Island."  The Daily News article goes on to describe the LifeRing meeting format and other aspects of the LifeRing approach.  Click for a PDF copy of the clipping.  Nanaimo is located north of the city of Victoria at the southeastern end of Vancouver Island.  -- JM 7/28/04

A LifeRing meeting is under construction in AustinTX, founding convenor Patrick B. has announced.  Patrick, a member of the Constitutional Congress of LifeRing in 2001, asks interested persons to contact him via email at parsecironclad@yahoo.com.  PB 7/26/04  top

A new LifeRing meeting, the third in Marin County CA, will open on Wednesday evening July 7 at the new Bayside Marin outpatient center at 684 Point San Pedro Road in San Rafael, founding convenors Wendy W. and Marty N. have announced.  The meeting place is in the shopping mall next to the Loch Lomond sailboat marina, between the deli and the video rental store.  Meeting time is from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.  Download a flyer announcing the new meeting (PDF) -- MN 7/1/04   top

A new study group using the Recovery by Choice workbook published by LifeRing Press has commenced in Guelph, ON (Canada).  The study group meets weekly on Sunday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m.  Please contact the group's convenor, Jason K., at 519 836 2411for directions to the meeting place.  -- JK 6/28/04.    top

A new LifeRing meeting will begin on Thursday, July 1, in Mill Valley, in Marin County north of San Francisco, founding convenors Marty N. and Carol J. have announced. The time is 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each Thursday.  The meeting place is in the medical offices of Dr. Howard Kornfeld at 3 Madrona Street, Mill Valley. The meeting will use the "How Was Your Week" format. The meeting is the second LifeRing in the county, joining the Friday night LifeRing at the Kaiser medical facility in Terra Linda (San Rafael). Click here for a flyer announcing the new meeting (PDF). -- MN 6/23/04.  top

LifeRing convenors Katie F., Andree G. and Marty N. gave a presentation about LifeRing to a group of about 40 new patients at the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Oakland CA on Tuesday evening June 22.  Katie, who convenes the Wednesday evening LifeRing at Merritt Peralta Institute in Oakland and the Friday evening LifeRing at Herrick Hospital in Berkeley, began by outlining the Three-S philosophy (Sobriety, Secularity, Self-Help) and the "How Was Your Week" meeting format. Andree, who co-convenes the Thursday evening meeting at the Oakland Kaiser facility, described the atmosphere of positive feedback and support that prevailed at the meetings. Marty, who convenes the Tuesday night workbook study group in Oakland, outlined his recovery experience in LifeRing and fielded questions.  During the question period, 34 of the 39 patients present reported having attended at least one LifeRing meeting.  Several audience members spoke up about how helpful the presence of feedback (crosstalk) at LifeRing meetings was for their recoveries, and how they liked the participatory format. One audience member asked whether it would be possible to obtain verification of attendance at online meetings. Kaiser staff counselor Joanne M., who chaired the session, said that participation in online meetings would be acceptable to the program if patients -- for example women with small children -- had difficulty attending outside meetings. The hour-long session ended with warm applause for the presenters. -- MN 6/23/04  top

The Tuesday evening meeting at the Qualicum Beach Civic Center in British Columbia, Canada, will be changing its day and its meeting place in the first week of July, its founding convenor Jack M. has announced.  The group will now meet on Friday evenings at 7:30 pm in the Recreation Center located at 2925 Northwest Bay Road, in Nanoose Bay.  Nanoose Bay is located just minutes north of the larger population center of Nanaimo, Jack explained.  -- JM 6/22/04.    top

Click here for the Bulletin Board in print (PDF file, 2 pp., selections from 4/2/04 - 6/12/04).

The 2005 LifeRing Congress will take place on the weekend of April 29 — May 1, 2005, in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, the LifeRing Board of Directors has decided.

Guelph was chosen as the Congress venue in recognition of the great strides that LifeRing has made there and in other parts of Canada, LifeRing CEO Marty N. explained on behalf of the Board. “The location underlines the international growth of our organization. Last year, LifeRing became established in Australia. This year, we’re seeing substantial growth in Canada.”

Guelph, a city of 100,000 located just west of Toronto in Canada’s Ontario province, is home to three LifeRing meetings, with more on the way.
Guelph LifeRing convenor Jason Kelly points to a membership roll of about 40 participants in only the first year of LifeRing’s existence in the town.

The press in Guelph has been cooperative. In January this year, a local television news program interviewed Jason for thirteen minutes about the LifeRing approach. More recently, the Guelph Tribune ran a news announcement about the growth of LifeRing meetings.

Guelph has an extensive network of chemical dependency treatment programs, including one of the oldest such facilities in Canada, Homewood. Guelph LifeRing is actively getting the word out about LifeRing to the treatment facilities, offering their patients an additional option toward recovery along with the existing 12-step model.

LifeRing has also been growing in western Canada, with two new meetings in British Columbia already this year. Moves toward establishing a meeting are also underway in Montreal, and inquiries have been received from other Canadian locations.

Guelph is easily accessible from the East Coast of the United States. The location fits in with a preference to alternate Congress venues between the two coasts, Marty N. explained. The 2004 Congress was in Berkeley, CA.

The Congress will convene in conference facilities at the University of Guelph, Jason and co-convenor Ed Becker announced. The University, which bills itself as Canada’s top comprehensive university, provides lodging, meals and conference facilities to numerous groups, small and large, at economical rates.

Guelph also offers a number of tourist attractions. It has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes, together with an active theatre, music, and artistic community. There is an extensive network of urban parks. The mayor is a woman. There is a hockey team, the Guelph Storm. The town has a historic city center and is near Toronto and Niagara Falls. Side trips to the Falls may be arranged for Congress visitors, Jason indicated.  -- MN 6/13/04   top

A new LifeRing meeting has opened in Vancouver BC Canada on Monday evenings, co-founding convenor Jack McNeil reports.  The meeting convenes every Monday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the Three Bridges Addiction Team on the third floor of 1290 Hornby St., in downtown Vancouver. The first meeting took place on Monday June 7.  For further information, call toll-free 1-877-752-1058 or email jr.mcneil@shaw.ca. -- JM 6/11/04   top

A new poem by LifeRing convenor Jessica H. in Houston TX has been posted on the unhooked.com Poetry Page.  Jessica, who co-moderates the LSRTex email list and is co-founder of the Houston LifeRing meeting with LifeRing convenor John Price, wrote the poem in 2003.  It is entitled "Authentic Me."  top

Four LifeRing speakers gave an introductory presentation about LifeRing to a group of about twelve new patients at the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in San Francisco Tuesday June 8.  LifeRing convenor Marty N. began with a short talk on how LifeRing works, illustrated with drawings on the whiteboard.  New LifeRing member Mark D. spoke about the positive effect LifeRing attendance is having on his recovery.  Dave W., a LifeRing participant for the past ten weeks, related his progress in recovery using the LifeRing process. LifeRing convenor Gillian E. outlined the basic "Three-S" LifeRing philosophy (Sobriety, Secularity, Self-Help).  During the question period, one participant asked whether a person could be admitted to the Kaiser facility's long term recovery program without having a sponsor or working the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.  Kaiser staff counselor Paul Bell-Tull, who chaired the session, answered that if the person was clean and sober and working their personal recovery program, there was no problem.  Another audience member testified that if LifeRing had been available at that facility seven years earlier, it might have saved him five years of relapse.  He reported that at his first encounter with AA seven years ago, he was so put off by that program's religiosity that he went out and drank for five more years. There were several other positive comments about LifeRing from the floor. The meeting ended with a warm round of applause.  -- MN 6/10/04   top

Two LifeRing meetings have opened their doors in Wenatchee, WA, founding convenor Paul J. has announced.  They are:

• Monday Night at 7:00 PM, Starbucks Coffee, 510 Valley Mall Pkwy, East Wenatchee, WA
• Thursday 12:00 Noon, Behavioral Health, 701 North Miller, Wenatchee, WA

For further information, please contact Paul J. paulj@genext.net or phone 509-668-1269.  -- PJ 6/7/04  top

The following appeared last week in the Guelph (Ontario, Canada) Tribune:

LifeRing Welcomes Members

The addiction support group LifeRing invites new members to its new location, new schedule and new workbook.

LifeRing is a secular, confidential group that stresses individual choice and responsibility in sobriety, as well as peer support.

It meets Monday at 8p.m. at St. George's Anglican Church and Thursday at 7p.m. at Chalmer's United Church.  Use back doors and follow signs.

A new meeting to work through the Recovery by Choice workbook, a comprehensive sobriety plan, will be started soon, as people sign up.  The workbook is available from LifeRing.

LifeRing is the fastest growing addiction support group in Ontario and possibly Canada, says coordinator Jason Kelly.

"It might be a good fit for those wanting to try group support for the first time or for those who want to add an additional resource to their toolbox," said Kelly.

It might also be an option for those who find other programs aren't a good match, he said.

The Guelph Group soon starts a program for inmates at Maplehurst Correctional Centre.

Call 836 2411.

Isn't that great! Thanks again for everyone's continued support. A special thanks goes out to the Guelph Tribune for once again providing much appreciated community support for LifeRing Secular Recovery! -- J.K.  6/5/04  top

The Saturday afternoon LifeRing meeting in Manhattan, New York City, has moved up to a once-weekly schedule instead of every two weeks, convenor Brenda H. has announced.  The meeting convenes from 1- 2 pm every Saturday at Cabrini Medical Center, 227 East 19th St. (between 2nd and 3rd Aves.) in Manhattan. Stop at the front desk and tell them you're going to room 335, then follow the signs to Grace Hall (it's across the corridor from room 335). For more information contact brenda459459@yahoo.com  -- 5/24/04  top

A new study group based on the Recovery by Choice workbook will open in Hayward/Union City CA on Monday evenings starting May 24, its founding convenor Robert D. has announced.  The group will meet from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Group Room 6 of the North Building (Building C) of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at 3551 Whipple Road, Union City.

This meeting will be followed by a regular LifeRing recovery meeting in the same location from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. People are free to attend either hour or both if they wish, Robert explained. 

The LifeRing meeting which met on Monday evenings at CCEC in Fremont has been moved to this new time and location.  -- 5/17/04  top

The new LifeRing meeting in Houston has found a permanent home at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5200 Fannin Street, and will begin meeting there on Thursday May 20 2004 at 7:15 p.m. The group's initial meeting was on May 13 at Salento's coffee shop.   For further information please contact John at  bonodonnavox@hotmail.com or 713-702-5931 or Jessica at Jessicahare@sbcglobal.net .  -- 5/11/04, 5/13/04  top

A new LifeRing meeting will open in Norfolk VA, founding convenor Jane K. has announced.  The meeting will convene on Monday nights from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Norfolk Public Library - Larchmont Branch Meeting Room, 6525 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA.  The first meeting will take place on June 7, 2004.  Please contact Jane at 757/587-2404 or  gogently_50@yahoo.com for further information. The meeting is the first LifeRing in the state. -- JK 5/4/04  top

LifeRing convenors in the United Kingdom have launched a new web site aimed at publicizing the LifeRing approach there and encouraging the formation of face-to-face meetings.  The webmaster of the new site is Keith J. Click to view the new LifeRing UK web site.  -- MN 5/2/04  top

LifeRing convenors Craig O. and Marty N. presented the LifeRing approach to a group of about 25 people in early recovery at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Union City CA on Wednesday evening, April 14.  It was the first public presentation for Craig O., who co-convenes the Saturday morning LifeRing meeting in Pleasanton. The LifeRing speakers shared the platform with a speaker from Alcoholics Anonymous.  The occasion was an introduction to recovery support groups for new patients at this outpatient treatment facility.  Kaiser staff counselor Kara Levine hosted the session, which featured a lively question and answer period. Three LifeRing meetings are active at this facility.

LifeRing convenors Katie F. and Marty N. presented LifeRing to a group of about 32 patients in an Early Recovery Education session at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Oakland CA on Tuesday evening April 27.  Between them, the LifeRing presenters spoke for about half an hour, and answered questions for the remainder of the hour.  All but three of the audience members at the session had already attended at least one LifeRing meeting. Several people spoke from the floor about the benefits they had received from their LifeRing meeting participation.  Kaiser Program Coordinator Jeff Blair hosted the session. There are five LifeRing meetings active at this facility in downtown Oakland. 

LifeRing convenors Katie F. and Marty N. shared their experiences with addiction and recovery with a group of about a dozen research scientists and graduate students at the Ernest Gallo Clinic & Research Center in Emeryville, CA at noontime on April 27.  The Gallo Center investigates the genetic and pharmacological basis of alcoholism.  The research group wanted to hear more about the experience of being an alcoholic. This might enable them to design better research experiments with animals and also to more fully internalize the importance of their work. Charlotte Boettinger, PhD, a staff research scientist at the Gallo center, issued the invitation and co-hosted the session. 

LifeRing convenor Katie F. provided an informational overview of LifeRing to about 15 clients at Ujima House, a drug & alcohol program for mothers in Richmond, CA, in the morning of April 29. The Ujima program runs weekday mornings and provides child care for the clients while they attend classes and support groups. Many of the clients have had their children removed by the courts and this program helps them demonstrate to the courts that they are able to take their children back.  The session lasted for for 1-1/2 hours with very lively discussion. LifeRing was asked to return and repeat the presentation on a monthly basis.  -- KF & MN 5/2/04 top

The Recovery By Choice Workbook email list, formed earlier this year, is now open to new members, list moderator Keith J has announced.  This group is for the use of people recovering from alcohol addiction with the aid of LifeRing Secular Recovery and the workbook ‘Recovery by Choice’. The group purpose is to offer a forum for those of us who are using the book as an aid to recovery so that we can compare notes, go through exercises together and share the journey to a sober, more content and happier life through and by choice within a secular framework.  Subscribe. 
-- KJ 4/9/04  top

A new LifeRing email list has been launched, titled LSRsafe. Founding convenor Craig W. describes LSRsafe as "a lightly moderated email list seeking to provide a safe and respectful atmosphere for those who may feel overwhelmed by the more rough-and-tumble setting of the large, diverse and unmoderated LSRmail. Rules of decorum are enforced and active participation is strongly encouraged by all members." To subscribe, send an email to Craig W., list moderator.   -- CW 4/6/07 -- A listing of all LifeRing email lists is on the email page.  top

At its annual Congress on March 28, the LifeRing Congress passed an amendment to the LifeRing Bylaws that will require every LifeRing member to have the LifeRing logo tattooed on their body.  The amendment was sponsored by LifeRing Board of Directors member Robert "Itchy" B., who had the LifeRing logo tattooed on his arm in 1999, and Australian LifeRing founder Jill T., who had the logo tattooed around her navel on the occasion of her first anniversary clean and sober earlier this year. For this reason, the amendment was known as the Itchy/Down Under Amendment. LifeRing CEO F. Arty Nickels commented that "in keeping with our commitment to free choice in building a personal recovery program, LifeRing members are free to choose where on the body they want the tattoo."  However, he added, members will have to show the tattoo to get admission to LifeRing meetings.  -- 4/1/04

[Happy April Fool's Day!]  top

Six LifeRing convenors gave a presentation about LifeRing to a group of about 25 patients in early recovery at the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program on Fillmore Street in San Francisco on Tuesday evening, March 30.  The six were Marty N., Katie F., Jim V., John P., Anthony P., and Jill T.  Jill particularly impressed the group because she had come all the way from Western Australia to attend the LifeRing Congress, and because at the end of her talk, she bared her midriff to display her LifeRing tattoo.  The presentation was part of a regular series of talks at that facility. Kaiser counselor Jeanne Kelly chaired the session. -- MN 3/31/04  top

A new LifeRing meeting will start on April 9, 2004, in Smithtown, Long Island, New York, founding convenor Michael P. has announced. The new venue is in the Pederson-Krag Center North, at 11 Route 111 in Smithtown.  The meeting will convene on Friday evenings from 6:15 to 7:45.  Persons interested in more information please contact Michael P. at 631-979-3269 or mpplunke@suffolk.lib.ny.us.  -- 3/30/04  top

At its meeting on March 28, the LifeRing Board of Directors issued a general call for proposals and ideas on locations for the 2005 Congress. Any LifeRing meeting or group of meetings interested in hosting the next Congress is invited to submit its proposal promptly to the LifeRing Service Center, service@lifering.org or 510-763-0779. The Board will meet next on Sunday April 25 at 5/6/7/8 pm PT/MT/CT/ET to decide on a venue for the 2005 Congress. Proposals must be received before the meeting.  -- 3/30/04  top

The 2004 LifeRing Congress brought people from some far corners of the earth together in Berkeley CA over the March 26-28 weekend. LifeRing convenors from Western Australia, from Sapporo Japan, and from two provinces of Canada, along with numerous others from nearer places, gathered in a conference center at Herrick Hospital to hear guest lecturers, share convenor experiences, have a clean and sober party, and finally hold a governing assembly and elect directors.  A highlight of the weekend was the guest appearance of noted historian and prize-winning author William L. White in a four-hour illustrated lecture on Saturday afternoon. White held the capacity crowd spellbound throughout the session and the audience gave him a thunderous standing ovation at the end. Attorney Alison Aubrejuan of Disability Rights Advocates in Oakland gave a guest presentation on the recent US Supreme Court case of Raytheon v. Hernandez, which affects the employment rights of people in recovery from chemical dependency. Counselor Marcia Leonard LCSW, on the staff of the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Vallejo CA, led an hour-long workshop on Relapse Prevention.  Two LifeRing convenor workshops -- one on how to start a meeting, the other on how to grow a meeting once started -- filled the conference room and featured lively exchanges with much laughter.  On Saturday evening, more than 50 guests filled every seat and then some for a buffet banquet in the bayside Tartan Room of Hs. Lordship's restaurant in the Berkeley Marina, with live musical entertainment by Chet G. and the Bay Area Blues Society. The next morning more than 35 delegates assembled to hear an annual report from the Board of Directors, and to make reports of their own on the state of their meetings (face-to-face or online). The delegates unanimously approved a bylaws amendment granting the Board the ability to issue "country charters" to LifeRing organizations in other countries, and then unanimously elected convenors Craig Whalley of Washington State, Jacqueline Jones of Virginia and Marty Nicolaus of California to three-year terms on the Board. A number of congress guests remained in town after the event to take in the attractions of the San Francisco Bay Area, number one tourist destination in the world.  -- MN 3/30/04  top

The LifeRing Board of Directors today posted its Annual Report, including the Financial Report, in advance of the upcoming 2004 Congress.  The Annual Report characterizes the past year as one of laying foundations for growth.  It discusses advances in the LifeRing infrastructure, in convenor development, and in tools for building meetings.  LifeRing's financial condition continues sound and debt-free.  Click here for full text of the Annual Report and the Financial Report.  -- MN 3/21/04  top

LifeRing in Guelph Ontario
Expands to Four Meetings

Thursday night's meeting at LifeRing Guelph has just divided into two meetings. This meeting has grown to over twenty participants in just two short months. There are now two meetings every Thursday night at the Dublin Street United church.

Last month, the Tuesday evening meeting outgrew itself and divided into two meetings at St. George's Anglican Church, both at the same time in different rooms.

A new meeting is scheduled to be launched on Monday nights in Guelph beginning in April of 2004. With the addition of this meeting there will be four new meetings in the City of Guelph!!! Things don't stop there.

There has been a request from a treatment facility in Orangeville (45min north of Guelph) to open meetings both in Orangeville and Mount Forest. Talks are also beginning at the Maplehurst detention centre, typically referred to as the Super Jail. The target for new meetings in Ontario has now been raised to eight, by the end of the summer of 2004.

Wish us luck,

-- Jason Kelly 3/18/04  top

LifeRing convenors Gillian E. and Marty N. gave a two-hour presentation about LifeRing to a group of 20 adult students in Fairfield CA on Friday evening, March 13.  The students were preparing to take the exam for certification as CAADAC counselors.  CAADAC is the California Addiction Counselors Association. The course is held under the direction of Nicole Meredith, a principal in PharmaTox, a treatment center headquartered in Fairfield, about 40 miles north of Oakland. Gillian E. gave the main presentation, outlining the "Three-S" philosophy of LifeRing, the meeting format, "How it Works," and other topics. During the question period, there was animated discussion among the students on the issue whether a counselor can ethically tell a client that the client will relapse unless the client works the twelve steps.  Marty concluded the session with brief remarks on the role of the clinician. The speakers distributed a literature kit including the Presenting LifeRing booklet and the main LifeRing brochures. The supply of workbooks brought by the speakers was grabbed up. Many of the students thanked the speakers enthusiastically for the presentation.  -- MN 3/14/04  top

LifeRing Press placed its first advertisement this month, in the March issue of Addiction Professional.  The advertisement features Recovery By Choice, the workbook. Addiction Professional is the quarterly journal of the National Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC).  The March issue has an estimated circulation of 25,000, including nearly 15,000 licensed professional counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, addiction medicine specialists, nurses, rehabilitation counselors, prevention specialists, social workers, and clinical supervisors who are members of NAADAC, plus more than 6,000 addiction treatment program directors and administrators.  An additional approximately 4,000 copies of the March issue are being distributed free at the annual conferences of several professional associations concerned with addiction treatment.  To see a copy of the quarter-page ad, click here. The LifeRing Board of Directors authorized the ad expenditure as a test to gauge the response. -- MN 3/8/04  top

On a lovely Wednesday, Katie F., Andree G., Laura H., Gillian E. and Syl S. gathered at the LifeRing office in Oakland CA to stick closure dots on 3500 LifeRing Congress brochures.  You know, those little clear dots that hold the flyer closed so the post office machines won't tear up the flyer?  Other than the awesome challenge of keeping the flyers in zip code order, there isn't much intellectual going on here, so there was lots of laughter and socializing.  The five of us managed to complete the entire mailing in four hours.  If other LifeRing members are willing to volunteer at the office or take work home, there's always work to do.  Call the office at 510-763-0779 and leave a message or send an email to service@lifering.org.  -- Katie F. 3/4/04 top

LifeRing convenors Katie F. and Marty N. gave a presentation about LifeRing to a group of nearly 40 patients in an early recovery education class of the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Oakland CA on Tuesday March 2.  This presentation was part of an eight-week cycle that has been ongoing at this facility since 1995.  On a show of hands, all but seven of the 37 patients present had already attended at least one LifeRing meeting. Kaiser staff members Jeff Blair and Dina M. chaired the session.

LifeRing convenors Ted N. and Marty N. gave a presentation about LifeRing to about 30 teens and a dozen parents and staff at the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Services facility in Walnut Creek CA on Wednesday evening March 3.  This was the first LifeRing presentation at this facility.  Kaiser staff counselor Jeff Brzostek hosted the session.  Brzostek introduced the speakers by observing that many of the teens had expressed dissatisfaction with the 12-step approach, particularly its religious nature.  He was happy to be able to provide the teens with information about an alternative support group. There was an active question-and-answer session and lively interest in the LifeRing approach from the audience.  -- MN 3/6/04 top

The first LifeRing meeting in British Columbia Canada opens at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday March 2 2004 at the Qualicum Beach Civic Center, 747 Jones Street, Qualicum Beach B.C.  The meeting will convene every week thereafter, founding convenor Jack M. has announced.  For further information call toll-free 1-877-752-1058 or email jr.mcneil@shaw.ca.

An announcement for the new meeting was printed in The News, the local daily newspaper, on Feb. 24.  Click for a PDF copy of the press clipping.  -- J.M. 2/25/04   top

A flyer summarizing the program for the upcoming 2004 Congress, suitable for posting, handing out, or mailing, is now available from the LifeRing Service Center.  A copy can be downloaded here as a PDF file. A print version will be mailed to LifeRing convenors, members, treatment providers, and others concerned shortly, the Service Center announced today.  -- 2/25/04  top

A new LifeRing meeting has opened in Sedona AZ, the first in that city, LifeRing convenor Loren H. has announced.  The group meets on Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. in the meeting hall behind the Unity Church at 65 Deer Trail Drive, Sedona. Deer Trail is off Route 89A in West Sedona at the corner of the Big O Tire and the Days Inn, across from the Giant gas station.  Go a half block south, enter the parking lot of the Unity Church on your right, continue through the lot to get behind the main building.  The entry is in the carport area.  This meeting also has a web page at http://www.soberplan.com/sedona/  -- 2/22/04 top

The complete program for the 2004 LifeRing Congress is now posted and available, the LifeRing Service Center has announced.  Highlights include:

• Friday night March 26: Reception and LifeRing meeting running concurrently at Herrick Hospital, 2001 Dwight Way, Berkeley.
• Saturday March 27 morning workshops, also at Herrick Hospital, featuring two sessions with two tracks each. Namely:
  • Workshop A: "I Have My Sobriety -- But Do I Still Have My Job?"  A presentation of the legal rights of recovering people in the workplace following the US Supreme Court's controversial recent decision in Raytheon v. Hernandez.  By a staff attorney of Disability Rights Advocates, Oakland.
  • Workshop B:  The Pioneer Experience.  LifeRing convenors will share their experiences in starting LifeRing meetings in a variety of settings.  Finding a location, doing publicity, getting referrals, building a core group.  Round table discussion.
  • Workshop C:  Preventing Relapse.  Presenter: Marcia Leonard LCSW, staff counselor at the Kaiser Permanente Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Vallejo.  Ms. Leonard leads the Relapse Prevention class at Vallejo and has written extensively on the topic.
  • Workshop D:  "It Almost Runs Itself!"  Experienced LifeRing convenors will share their experiences in facilitating LifeRing meetings, face to face and/or online.  How to create a positive environment; the opening statement; getting the process rolling; encouraging and handling crosstalk; dealing with problem situations.  With commentary by a professional meeting facilitator. 
• Saturday 1:00 pm, at Herrick Hospital, 2001 Dwight Way, Berkeley
  • An Afternoon With William L. White. Guest speaker William L. White, author of Slaying the Dragon, Toward a New Recovery Movement, and other works, will give an illustrated slide presentation covering the history of the American recovery movement, concluding with a look ahead at the emerging recovery movement of tomorrow. 
• Saturday evening 6:00 - 11:00 p.m.  Banquet and Live Entertainment.  At Hs. Lordship's Restaurant, Berkeley Marina.  Spectacular bay view, great food, almost no speeches, hot blues band musical review, dancing. 
• Sunday morning, March 28, 9:00 a.m. - noon. At Herrick Hospital, 2001 Dwight Way, Berkeley.
  • Delegates' Assembly. LifeRing organizational and business meeting. 

Click for registration information and program details  -- 2/22/04 top

Speaking engagements to present LifeRing to audiences of recovering people and treatment staff are like painting the bridge: a continuing mission that never stops. 

On December 17 2003, LifeRing convenor Amy L. presented LifeRing to an orientation meeting of teens in recovery and their parents at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Union City, CA.  Kaiser counselor Lisa Wild hosted the session, which also featured a speaker from Alcoholics Anonymous.

On January 6 2004, LifeRing convenors Katie F., Syl S. and Marty N. presented LifeRing to a group of about 50 patients in early recovery at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Oakland, CA.  Kaiser counselors Jeff Blair and Dina M. chaired the session.

On January 19, LifeRing convenor Robert D. presented LifeRing to a group of patients in the day-program education class at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Union City, CA. Kaiser staffer Mary Mahood was in charge of the meeting.

On January 21, LifeRing convenors Trish S. and Marty N. presented LifeRing to a group of about 45 patients in early recovery at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Union City, CA.  Kaiser counselor Kara Levine chaired the gathering. 

On March 2, LifeRing convenors will present LifeRing to a new group of patients in early recovery at the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Recovery Program in Oakland, CA.

On March 3, LifeRing convenors will present LifeRing to the staff and patients of the Kaiser Chemical Dependency Services program in Walnut Creek, CA.  This will be the first LifeRing presentation at the Walnut Creek treatment facility.

On March 12, LifeRing convenors will give a LifeRing presentation to students in a training program for CAADAC certification under the auspices of the PharmaTox program in Fairfield, CA.  This will be the first LifeRing presentation to students at that facility, which has hosted a LifeRing meeting convened by Bill S. for more than a year.    -- 2/22/04 MN top

Volunteers at the LifeRing Service Center produced four mailings for the upcoming LifeRing Congress during January and February. 

On January 22, a mailing of more than 600 pieces went out to Northern California members of CAADAC, the California chapter of the national addiction treatment professionals' association. The mailing contained a cover letter and registration form for the William White presentation, together with three LifeRing brochures: "Welcome to LifeRing," "We Come Recommended," and "Food for the Sober Mind." 

On February 4, a mailing of nearly 1000 pieces went out to recent purchasers of LifeRing Press books.  This mailing was a one-page letter of invitation to the Congress.

On the same day, a mailing of more than 130 pieces consisting of a poster announcing the William White presentation went out to staff development directors of addiction treatment facilities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

On February 12, a mailing went out to all LifeRing convenors outside the San Francisco Bay Area with Congress information.

All but the fourth mailing went out with LifeRing's nonprofit mailing permit, obtained through the knowledgeable efforts of Gillian E.  Katie F. prepared the