When you get a DUI or undergo a substance abuse-related arrest you might end up facing court-mandated attendance for Court Ordered AA meetings. This usually occurs as an option to help people with addiction issues avoid jail time and rehabilitate themselves instead. AA can be a useful step toward quitting substance abuse and can help people address the problems that caused their arrest.
Working of AA Meetings
Before you attend the mandatory AA meetings you will usually be sent to a probation officer, counselor, or caseworker who will oversee your participation in the program. The officer or caseworker will first give you an alcohol or drug screening test to help evaluate your current abuse patterns. It can help assess whether a person is an addict based on the negative consequences that they experience from their substance abuse.
Once you have completed the evaluation the caseworker will determine how many meetings you need to attend depending on your level of addiction. You can be ordered to attend anywhere from one to 90 meetings or even more if you have had repeat offenses. They will provide you with some paperwork to keep track of how many days you attend and space for signatures from the chairperson of the meeting to confirm you were there.
When you attend AA meetings you will need to follow all the guidelines of the program and be respectful of the people there. Even though you are mandated to attend, many of the members of the meeting want and need to be there for their own health. You must keep your own identity and that of everyone else at the meeting anonymous.
Although many people are required to attend AA meetings and may not be motivated to recover yet, they can still learn and understand more about substance abuse and hopefully be inspired to become sober.