FAQs

Registering for the Recovery Support Tool opens up additional functionality of this site, which is not available to unregistered visitors, including: Finding a sponsor/co-sponsor, finding a study group, listing yourself as available for these functions, access to recovery discussion forums, as well as other recovery support tools. All personal information, except your site (or "avatar") name are kept confidential.

Additional reasons to register include:

1. To help find support working the ACA steps
2. To be of service in ACA
3. To enable fellowship support with a book or step study
4. To take a step out of isolation

We hope you'll join us!

While the goal is to be in a one-on-one relationship with a sponsor, we offer an overview of ACA sponsorship experience that includes other methods as well.* This site supports 4 types of sponsorship:

1. Sponsor: An experienced ACA member guides a sponsee through the Twelve Steps and helps them understand the ACA recovery process. This site allows fellow travelers who have completed the Steps to list themselves as being available as a traditional sponsor.
2. Co-Sponsor: Two ACA members with similar program time and experience support each other’s continued recovery. This model seems to work best for ACA members having significant time and experience in the program. This site allows fellow travelers to list themselves as available for co-sponsorship.
3. Book-Study Group Coordinator: A group of Fellow Travelers that meet regularly to work the Steps together can provide indirect sponsorship. This site facilitates a fellow traveler to coordinate the creation of a book-study group using various ACA sanctioned books.
4. Sponsee or Book-Study Group Member: Someone wishing to find a sponsorship connection. While not, strictly speaking, a type of sponsorship, this is the type you should select if you are looking for a sponsor, a book-study group to join, or just want access to the site forum or resources. Members of this type will not be listed anywhere on the site.

The above types are selected during the registration process. Each member must select one, and only one, sponsorship type. You can change your sponsorship type at any time by modifying your Account information, which you can access from the pull-down menu (your login name) in the upper right corner of your screen. It is the responsibility of fellow travelers seeking a traditional sponsor, a co-sponsor, or a book-study group, to contact fellow travelers listed on this site, and determine if there is a good match.

* From the BRB p374

* Willingness to read Chapter 11 in BRB, pgs. 365 -390

p. 373

“It takes kindness, caring, and an abundance of patience and nurturing.”

“I became an ACA sponsor after eighteen months in the program. It was a decision I mulled over for three months. I was not sure I was ready. I was not sure I had anything to give, and I was not sure that what I had to give was worth giving. I read a sponsorship trifold. I talked with my own sponsor. Then I took a long, searching look at myself as a candidate and made what I now consider my most healing decision.”

“To do it well, I try to maintain healthy boundaries between my sponsees and me in order not to take on their pain or try to fix them.”

p. 374

. . . “Being an ACA sponsor means aiding a sponsee in that fight until they can stand up to whatever problem in its less intimidating, basic form. When they can’t do it alone, they learn to reach out and get the necessary emotional support and information to see their problem can be solved, how to solve it and then solve it.”

. . . “As a sponsor I try to be a guide, not a teacher. I make it a point to praise the good work my sponsees do because validation is always important.” . . .

We have created a comprehensive How To page. Head on over the the How to Use the ACA Recovery Support Tool page.