COVID-19 Guidelines for 12-Step/Support Group Meetings

Attend a Support Group? There are COVID-19 Guidelines you should know.

The RI Dept. of Health responded to our request for guidelines for self-help, 12-Step, or other Structured support groups. This was in response to a query we had from a group facilitator who said she had received no guidance, personally, nor by the facilities that are used for groups. These are often church basements, and other facilities that are rented out to the groups on a meeting by meeting basis. There have been no PPE items such as hand sanitizer, or masks for those who don’t have them, or guidance on socially distancing of chairs, not to mention screening of attendees.

The type of groups in question are what would be considered anonymous, by design, without formal names and contact info being captured. Some examples are AA meetings, NA meetings, or any of a wide variety of anonymous self-help groups that are even more important in the time of COVID19.

The statement and guidance from the RIDOH is as follows:

October 26, 2020

12-Step groups and other structured support groups are not social gatherings; they are meetings held at venues of assembly. These groups must adhere to all Executive Orders and regulations, including limitations on the number of attendees permitted at meetings held at venues of assembly (see Executive Order 20-67, sections 9 and 10 – link, below). (Executive Orders are subject to change. Updates are posted on the Governor’s website.)

All attendees are required to wear a cloth face covering unless physical distancing of at least six feet can be maintained easily and continuously, to the extent feasible. When physical distancing is not feasible, attendees should minimize the amount of time they are exposed to other people, to the extent possible. In general, RIDOH recommends that any time you’re near people who don’t live with you, wear a mask and watch your distance.

Cloth face coverings are not required for:

• _Anyone for whom use of such face covering would damage their physical or mental health; or

• _Anyone who is developmentally unable to use a cloth face covering, including young children who may not be able to effectively wear a cloth face covering; or

• _When a face covering would directly inhibit an activity of daily living (e.g. eating); or

• _When a face covering would itself negatively impact the safety of an individual or lead to an increased risk of harm to others (e.g. near open flames); or

• _In outdoor settings when people can easily and continuously maintain at least six feet of distance from other people.

A designated member of the group must be responsible for ensuring compliance with screening all individuals who enter the venue of assembly to attend meetings. Such screening shall include, at a minimum:

• _Visual assessment, self-screening, or a written questionnaire, or a combination of any of these screening methods regarding COVID-19 symptoms and contact in the last 14 days with other individuals who are COVID-19 positive or who have COVID-19 symptoms;

• _At all entrances to the meeting venue, post a notice that all individuals entering must be screened or self-screened, and they should not enter if they are COVID-19 positive, have COVID-19 symptoms, or have had close contact in the last 14 days with an individual who, at the time of contact, had COVID-19. Samples of screening criteria for entrants can be found, in English and in Spanish, on the Reopening RI website.

If an individual is identified as exhibiting multiple symptoms of COVID-19 or as COVID-19 positive, the individual cannot attend the meeting.

In addition, RIDOH recommends that the following measures be put in place for each meeting:

• _Meetings should be held outside, as weather permits.

• _When possible, windows should be kept open to promote air circulation during meetings held indoors. Fans can also be placed in open windows to blow air from the meeting space to outdoors. If the meeting space does not have exterior windows or doors, consider using a fan to blow air into another unoccupied space.

• _Attendees should remain seated and limit movement during the meetings.

• _Attendees should avoid communal coffee urns and sharing of snacks, books, pamphlets, materials, pens/pencils, etc.

• _Hand sanitizer should be available at all times during the meeting.

• _Attendees should sit or stand at least six feet apart from one another.

Here is a link to the referenced area of the Governor’s Executive Order:

https://governor.ri.gov/documents/orders/Executive-Order-20-67.pdf