Policy Regarding Outside Literature at CoDA Meetings

CoDA groups may not use any other Twelve Step books, and it is strongly suggested that CoDA groups use only CoDA Conference Endorsed literature. 

If a group by informed group conscience chooses to use other outside literature, in order to be an informed group conscience, that group must weigh their decision against the Twelve Traditions to ascertain if a responsible decision has been made. 

Some points to consider are: 

Tradition One: Using CoDA literature supports the growth of CoDA and offers unity and continuity of message.  

Tradition Four: Will the decision reached by the group affect neighboring groups or CoDA as a whole? What might be a newcomers first impression of CoDA based on the literature chosen? What is a groups responsibility to newcomers? 

Tradition Five: Is the decision about literature, or for that matter any decision made by the group, in line with CoDA’s primary purpose? 

Tradition Six: Is the use of outside literature an endorsement of a particular author? By making the work of a particular author the focus of a meeting, is that a CoDA meeting or a book study session? Tradition Eight: Use of outside literature may border on therapy. CoDA is a self-help group and uses the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions as a basis for recovery. 

Tradition Ten: Use of copyrighted materials not owned by CoDA may lead to problems in the future and ought to be considered in the decision-making process. CoDA will not define codependency but will describe it. Does the use of outside literature support a particular definition? 

If, after considering the above points, and a group still chooses to use other outside literature, it must be decided on through a group conscience AND an announcement must be made at the beginning and end of the reading of said literature.