Welcome to Co-Dependents Anonymous
The CoDA World Fellowship

Who's Who CoDA Committees and Board Overseen Service Functions Descriptions and Roles

Board Overseen Service Functions CoDA Web Site (Web Team) Overview: The CoDA Web Site workers manage the public presence of CoDA on the Internet. A large part of this work involves structuring CoDA’s web-presence so that it is easy to understand, intuitively formatted, attractive, and ultimately useful both to current CoDA members and to those just discovering our Fellowship. The CoDA Board of Trustees is responsible for the execution and oversight of these services. This effort involves, but is not limited to, Keeping information and mail links current. Receiving and updating information submissions in a timely fashion. Generally adding and improving the features and ease of use of our web site. Fellowship Services Fellowship Services workers provide baseline support services. This includes a mail and telephone point of contact for the members, maintenance of the organization’s meeting and contact lists, and the delivery of other services required by the organization. The CoDA Board of Trustees is responsible for the execution and oversight of these services. Included Services CoDA Telephone Point of Contact: A voice contact for all calls made to the CoDA, Inc. telephone number. A Commercial answering service receives all calls and refers any calls that cannot be answered by the service to the appropriate board member, CoDA committee chairperson. When possible, the answering service provides meeting information as available in the CoDA meeting database. CoDA Mail: Response to all written requests for information regarding CoDA or Co-Dependents Anonymous sent to the Phoenix mailing address. A Contractor, who is supervised directly by a current CoDA Board Trustee, handles most requests for information. Program information is sent to those requesting such information. Orders received and requests for information for CoDA Books and CoDA literature are forwarded to the appropriate CoDA entity for fulfillment. Requests for CoDA organization and program information the Contractor is unable to answer are forwarded to the Outreach Committee. Co-Dependents Anonymous Meeting and Contact Database: The Board of Trustees, via Fellowship Services, is charged with the collection and maintenance of all meeting, Intergroup, Voting Entity and CoDA, Inc. contact data and will oversee the distribution of any part of the database for internal use within the Fellowship. The Board of Trustees, by its appointed board liaison(s), supervises the selection of Contractors who maintain the master meeting database and its timely updates on the CoDA website. Board Liaison to Fellowship Services Fellowship Services is a Board-administered function of the Fellowship. The services required by the Fellowship are complex; so two Board members handle various contact functions of Fellowship Services. Because of the variety and importance of the functions included in Fellowship Services, a third Board member may serve as a secondary or back up Board liaison. Review of Services Liaisons are responsible for reviewing all services provided by Fellowship Services Contractor. The Board liaisons may make recommendations to the Board to implement changes to streamline and increase efficiency in the processing of members’ needs. CoDA Committees CoDA Service Conference Committee Definition: The function of the CoDA Service Conference Committee (CSC) is to develop plans and coordinate activities necessary to provide for CoDA’s annual CoDA Service Conference meeting. The committee is formed by members of the local groups of the host city and has as a minimum the following service leaders: Chairperson; Co-Chairperson(s), Treasurer, Secretary, and sufficient other members to accomplish all work required. CoDA Conference Committee Purpose: Present the CoDA Service Conference with a suggested meeting date and location for the following year’s CoDA Service Conference. Accept and review all bids for the upcoming CoDA Service Conference. Bids are due 12-18 months prior to the CoDA Service Conference. Assist the host committee with their planning and in any other way needed. Communicate regularly with committee members, any sub-committee leaders, and the CoDA Board liaison. Maintain and adhere to the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Service Concepts in the course of all activities. Report to the Fellowship in each CoDA Quarterly Service Report. CoDA Service Conference Committee Members: Role and Duties Attend Committee and Subcommittee meetings and/or conference calls and/or attend to e-mail required to conduct business concerning Service Conference details. Participate in the group conscience decision making process, keeping in mind the principles of the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Service Concepts. Conduct business and manage workload in a timely, effective, and efficient manner. Maintain appropriate personal and professional boundaries with self and others. Keep an accurate record of all expenses incurred doing committee service. CoDA Service Conference Committee Chair: Role and Duties Define focus and goals of committee work, disseminate work, and develop schedules to accomplish that work. Set agenda and schedule work-in-progress. Negotiate a contract (using CSC approved budget) with the hotel, and sign it for the CoDA Service Conference. Maintain consistent, timely communications with the committee members, CoDA Board liaison, and others needed. Monitor the accomplishment of goals on a regular basis. Request group conscience poll and/or communication for recommended solutions, guidelines, bids, and other committee matters with the committee. Assure that the Committee/Conference treasurer establishes a bank account for the CoDA Service Conference, maintains accurate records of all receipts and disbursements, and maintains ongoing communication with the Finance Committee Chair. The Treasurer of the CoDA Board of Trustees will be an authorized signer on any bank accounts Obtain money in the amount established by Conference Motion, and have such funds deposited in the appropriate bank checking account. Assure all required expenditures have either been approved by the Fellowship through an approved Conference motion, or have been approved by the Board prior to making the expenditure(s). Assure all bills are fully paid, including return of seed money, and that any excess funds are forwarded to CoDA. Assure that there are no outstanding obligations prior to closing the checking account at the end of the Conference. CoDA Convention Committee Definition: The Convention Committee serves the Fellowship by facilitating the planning and execution of each CoDA Convention. Conventions are primarily spiritual in nature, similar to workshops and retreats. The Convention Committee’s goal is to provide the Fellowship with a Convention every two years. CoDA Convention Committee Purpose: Arrange for the timely announcement of a request for bids, followed by a review of all bids and selection of a site. Bids are due 12-18 months prior to the CoDA Convention. Present the CoDA Service Conference with a suggested meeting date and location for the next CoDA Convention. Assist the local planning committee in whatever way possible, serve as a liaison to the CoDA Board and Fellowship, and provide continuity from one host committee to the next. Develop a planning manual with examples of key documents, (i.e., budgets, registration flyers, etc.) from previous Conventions to assist planning. Develop in conjunction with the CoDA Finance Committee a standard guideline for tracking convention finances. Communicate regularly with committee members, any sub-committee leaders, the CoDA Board liaison, and the chair or co-chair and attend one Board meeting, if possible. Maintain and adhere to the Steps, Traditions, and Service Concepts in all activities. Report to the Fellowship in each CoDA Quarterly Service Report. CoDA Convention Committee Members: Role and Duties Attend Committee and Subcommittee meetings and/or conference calls and/or attend to e-mail required to conduct business concerning convention details. Participate in the group conscience decision making process, keeping in mind the principles of the Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, and Twelve Service Concepts. Conduct business and manage workload in a timely, effective, and efficient manner. Maintain appropriate personal and professional boundaries for self and with others. Keep an accurate record of all expenses incurred doing committee service. CoDA Convention Committee Chair: Role and Duties Define focus and goals of committee work, disseminate work, and develop schedules to accomplish that work. Set agenda and schedule work-in-progress. Negotiate a contract, with Board liaison, with the hotel, and sign it for the Convention. Maintain consistent, timely communications with the committee members, CoDA Board liaison, and others needed. Monitor the accomplishment of goals on a regular basis. Request group conscience poll and/or communication for recommended solutions, guidelines, bids, and other committee matters with the committee. Assure that the Committee/Convention treasurer establishes a bank account for the Convention, maintains accurate records of all receipts and disbursements, and maintains ongoing communication with the CoDA Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair. Obtain money in the amount established by Conference Motion and have such funds deposited in the appropriate bank checking account. Receive the seed money. Large dollar items may be paid directly by the CoDA treasurer from CoDA funds. Convention Treasurer pays the final bill when necessary at the close of the event after reviewing the bill with the event contract present. Assure all required expenditures have either been approved by the Fellowship through a Conference motion, or are approved by the Board, prior to making the expenditure(s). Assure all bills are fully paid, return any seed money provided by CoDA, and reimburse CoDA for any items paid directly. Assure that there are no outstanding obligations prior to closing the checking account at the end of the Convention. All of the above to be accounted for before any split of profit between the Hosting community and CoDA. Finance Committee Overview: The CoDA Finance Committee provides financial oversight, analysis, tracking, and advice to the Board of Trustees and Fellowship of CoDA with respect to cash flow, prudent budgeting, financial stability, and monetary resources of the CoDA Fellowship. Committee Functions: Review the proposed budgets of standing committees and the CoDA Board prior to submission for CSC vote, advising changes or outlining options, as prudence requires. Provide input to the NSC related to financial implications of proposals under discussion. Non-Conference Responsibilities: Track CoDA’s cash-flow and appraise the CoDA Board or committee chairs of financial concerns or circumstances which may require budgetary adjustments between CoDA Service Conferences. Issues Mediation Committee The Service Conference elects members of the Issues Mediation Committee (IMC) according to guidelines established by the Conference. Voting Entity Delegates and alternates are eligible to serve on the IMC. Background: The former Delegate Relations Committee has evolved into the Issues Mediation Committee (IMC). This name reflects Higher Power’s guidance and a trust in the process. This committee is available to a broad base of members. We trust the guidance of our Higher Power as expressed in our group conscience. Resolutions are possible. IMC Mission: IMC facilitates dispute mediation for Voting Entities, Intergroups, and other CoDA entities as needed, using the Twelfth Tradition as their guide. Procedures: We use the Disagreement, Mediation, and Resolution section of the Fellowship Service Manual (Section 2) as our first resource for guidance in dispute mediation. Conflict within a committee: If a conflict arises within a Committee, the Board liaison to that Committee may assist in finding a resolution. If the Board liaison is unable to assist in resolving the conflict, a Committee member or the Board liaison may request assistance from the IMC to mediate the conflict. If IMC mediation does not resolve the conflict, the IMC will refer the issue to the full Board of Trustees for assistance. Conflict with a Liaison: If a conflict arises between a Committee and its assigned liaison, the committee chair and the liaison may request the IMC to assist in mediation. If the conflict cannot be resolved through mediation, the IMC will advise the chair of the CoDA Board of Trustees regarding the issues involved in the conflict. The Board of Trustees may choose one of the following actions: Assign a new board liaison to the committee. Refer the issue back to IMC for further suggestions. Take appropriate action, as the Board of Trustees deems necessary. If the second attempt at resolution is not successful, the conflict will be referred back to the Board of Trustees with a non-binding group conscience opinion. Hospitals and Institutions Committee Hospitals and Institutions (H&I) serves to carry the message of recovery to codependents confined in hospitals, jails, and other institutional facilities. CoDA Literature Committee (CLC) Descriptions: The CoDA Literature Committee's function is to encourage and facilitate the creation of new literature written by and for the Fellowship of Co-Dependents Anonymous. Writing for CoDA is a wonderful way to "carry the message," as expressed in Step Twelve. The CLC welcomes participation from all CoDA members. We invite submissions from individuals and from teams. For information on current projects, to find out how to participate, and to offer suggestions for new literature, please contact: CoDA Literature Committee P.O. Box 33577, Phoenix, AZ 85067 At the 1997 National Service Conference, the NLC wrote the following mission statement: “NLC Mission…Keeping in mind the National Service Conference 1997/98 goals of Outreach to Meetings, Communication, and Literature: We pledge to review and respectfully consider material submitted by the Fellowship to the NLC for release as CoDA/Conference Endorsed literature. We pledge to maintain communication and cooperation between the NLC and all CoDA National committees, boards, organizations, and the Fellowship. We pledge that this process will be carried out in a timely and prudent manner. The NLC asks writers to sign a contributor's agreement, which gives CoDA the legal right to edit, adapt, publish, and sell contributions as CoDA literature. This is part of the group conscience process as expressed through the National Literature Committee. The final product becomes the property of the Fellowship, not of any individual author. After the piece goes through the CLC's group conscience, the work is made available to CoDA Delegates for review.” Outreach Committee The CoDA Outreach Committee (Outreach) is a group of actively recovering codependents that serve as the ‘customer service’ branch of CoDA. Through Outreach service work, we are fulfilling Step 12. Our service work involves educating people about the CoDA Fellowship and connecting codependents with meetings worldwide. We provide information about face-to-face (f2f) and online CoDA meetings. We answer both general and specific questions about CoDA, and share our experience, strength, and hope (ESH). When appropriate, we refer others to specific CoDA committees. Outreach assists in updating domestic, regional, and international contact information and meeting lists by forwarding information to the Fellowship Service Office. Where we can, we connect different people in the same region who want to start meetings. One of our goals is to be proactive in reaching out to and connecting other codependents. In 2004, we developed a Spanish Outreach subcommittee to assist Spanish-speaking codependents worldwide. Most of Outreach's service work takes place online through email; therefore, Outreach members ought to have an affinity and ability to communicate effectively over email. People interested in serving on the CoDA Outreach committee should have at least one year of active CoDA recovery. Service Structure Committee Description: The Service Structure Committee’s function is to serve the will of the Fellowship, as expressed through the Conference, in keeping with the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Purpose: Serve in an advisory capacity to the CoDA Service Conference, Board of Trustees, and the Fellowship through the group conscience decision making process. Determine the implications of motions to modify, alter, or amend the CoDA Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Conference Protocols, CoDA Fellowship Service Manual, Twelve Steps, and Twelve Traditions, Twelve Service Concepts, or other foundation documents. To support, maintain, and create CoDA fundamental structural documents, including the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Fellowship Service Manual, Twelve Concepts, and other documents, as directed by the CoDA Service Conference. Present Service Manual content to the CoDA Service Conference for acceptance and approval. Produce annual updates and revised editions in a timely fashion. Communicate regularly with Board members, Committee chairs, Voting Entity Delegates, and other CoDA members or groups, offering relevant information and insight as needed. Service Structure Committee Members: Role and Duties Attend committee meetings or act as an advisory member. Write, edit, and recommend resolutions, ideas, and directions. Participate in the group conscience process. Consider any proposed changes to CoDA's service structure and procedures, diligently considering compliance with the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. Refer to the Steps and Traditions when formulating opinions; cite as needed for clarity. Keep confidential all matters as required; provide full disclosure for all other matters. Service Structure Chair: Role and Duties Define focus and goals of committee work, disseminate work, and develop time schedules to accomplish it. Set agenda and schedule work-in-progress priorities. Maintain consistent, timely communications with committee members, the CoDA Board, CoDA Board liaison, Committee chairs, and others as necessary. Monitor the time lines and schedules of individuals, subcommittees, and groups to insure accomplishment of goals. Provide reports to the Fellowship in a combined report called, “The CoDA Quarterly Service Report,” in keeping with the group conscience decision making process. Manage budgets, sign and keep recorded reports and minutes of committee, keep spending forms, receipts, and expenses for the committee and the Fellowship, and remind members to maintain expense records: telephone, travel, faxes, and mailings. Maintain the official copy of the CoDA Fellowship Service Manual and related correspondence and documents--current and historical--and turn over records to CoDA for archives. Disclose legal and spiritual problems, conflicts, and all committee goals to committee members. Request group conscience poll for solutions with all committee members. Communicate with members amiably and discuss problems directly if personal problems arise, before bringing matters to all members' attention for resolution. Relate dissenting opinions to committee members, Conference and Fellowship when required for the greater good of CoDA. If necessary, advise the IMC, too. Follow the Steps and Traditions in all dealings, and aid the committee in following these principles in their communications and work. Refer financial matters to Board liaison and Finance Committee