CoDAteen FAQ

What is CoDAteen?

CoDAteen, part of Co-Dependents Anonymous, is a community of young people whose common purpose is to develop healthy and loving relationships. In general, CoDAteen is for “teenagers”, ages 13 to 18 years. Each group can decide through their group conscience on the acceptable age range of attendees.

CoDAteen Meetings

The basic purpose of a CoDAteen meeting is to allow young people to discover a healthy and loving relationship with their Higher Power, themselves, and others. This happens according to their experience with Step work, sponsorship, and, most importantly, the identification with others in the group. Seeing others with similar feelings and problems find a common solution is the key to trusting in a Higher Power of our own understanding.

Meeting Structure

Each CoDAteen meeting must have a sponsoring CoDA group which holds business meetings with adult hosts/sponsors to help oversee the CoDAteen group. Likewise, the group can help with transport, finances, hosts/sponsors recruitment, alternate hosts/ sponsors, and with special events. The sponsoring group would also be responsible for assuring that the hosts/sponsors and any other adult CoDA member working with minors meets the Minimum Behavioral and Safety Requirements for CoDAteen as well as any other local requirements for working with teens. The CoDAteen sponsoring group is key to Tradition Four; “Each group should remain autonomous, except in matters affecting other groups or CoDA as a whole”. Local, regional, Intergroups and Voting Entities maintain adult responsibility for the youth. Without the adult sponsoring group, the ‘autonomy’ would be impossible to establish.

The Role of Adults*

The role of the CoDAteen host/sponsor is to provide a safe place for teens to share with each other, and to support and encourage the group as a whole.

Note: Adult hosts/sponsors do not serve as personal sponsors to individual CoDAteens. They address inappropriate or problematic behavior if necessary.

Training Resources for Adult Hosts/Sponsors

The group adopts a process for training adult hosts/sponsors by using recommendations and resources from the CoDAteen Meeting Handbook. The host groups can offer workshops, retreats and/or reading materials, etc. Section 3 of the CoDAteen Meeting Handbook offers recommended resources approved by the CoDA Service Conference.

Behavior and Safety Requirements

Every adult CoDA member or host/sponsor involved with CoDAteen must:

Be a CoDA member who regularly attends CoDA meetings, who has a sponsor and is working on the CoDA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions according to the CoDA program of recovery.
Be at least 25 years old with a minimum of 3 years of recovery in CoDA and have participated in CoDA service work.
Not have been convicted of a felony.
Not have been charged with any form of child abuse.
Not have been charged or demonstrated any inappropriate sexual behavior or be named on any sexual offender list.
Demonstrate emotional stability and sobriety.
Remain free from mind altering substances during meetings and service work.
Not have demonstrated violent tendencies or coercive abuse that could harm a CoDAteen member.
There must be two adult hosts/sponsors at every CoDAteen meeting, but if this is not possible, one adult host/sponsor who is approved and sponsored by a CoDA group and meets all other requirements may be acceptable.
The group requirements must prohibit overt or covert sexual interaction between any adult and CoDAteen member.
The group requirements must prohibit conduct contrary to applicable laws.
Research your local area for requirements according to the law.
The group requirements must contain procedures which include parental permission and medical care for the teen when necessary. In some circumstances, it might be possible to accept a referral from a counsellor, teacher, or doctor. (See the example of the Parental Permission Letter).
Adopt a process for training adult hosts/ sponsors using recommendations and resources from CoDAteen at coda.org.
Adopt a process for addressing problematic behaviors within the group, using recommendations and resources from coda.org.

Contact Information

For general queries about CoDAteen reach out to the CoDAteen meeting host.