Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A)Service Board of Trustees; Qualification and Election Document (the board ONLY serves Parental Alienation Anonymous, which facilitates the 12 step meetings and program, and has nothing to do with Parental Alienation Advocates, which is the overarching organization).
**Vision Statement:**
Parental Alienation Anonymous envisions a world where every alienated, estranged, and erased family member finds healing, connection, and understanding through a compassionate community committed to transformation and recovery.
**Mission Statement:**
Our mission is to provide a supportive, community-based environment based on the 12 Steps and guided by The 12 Traditions, and The 12 Concepts. The aim of the PA-A Service Board is to empower alienated parents, grandparents, children, and family members to rebuild their lives, fostering hope and resilience through shared experiences and structured recovery. Together, we strive for personal growth, stronger family bonds, and renewed purpose, guided by the principles of mutual support, empathy, and respect.
Board Structure and Responsibilities
The Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A) Service Board is composed of five dedicated members, who are responsible for guiding the organization in its mission to support all individuals affected by parental alienation, through facilitation of the 12-step meeting program. Service Board members will share their experience, strength, hope and leadership to ensure the continued growth , effectiveness and stability of PA-A.
Meeting Schedule
The service board will meet quarterly on the first Sunday of every third month (following the quarterly secretaries meeting) at 8:30 am PST.
- A quorum can be called at any time by any board member to address any time sensitive issues and critical emergencies. Two other board members will need to 2nd and 3rd this request for an emergency meeting.
- All general decisions are based upon majority vote and a minimum of three yes votes.
- If the board is not all present, or all seats are not filled and three yes votes can’t be reached, the agenda item can be tabled for the next meeting.
- Any vote on structural issues that impact the entire PA-A 12 step organization requires unanimous approval. All five board members must vote “yes” for a structural amendment, addition, or deletion to be ratified.
- Any board member may call for a structural vote on any topic at any time. Two other board members will need to 2nd and 3rd the call for a structural vote to take place.
- All meetings shall have AI notes posted to the community with the exemption of any executive sessions.
- An executive session is a private meeting held by a board or committee to discuss sensitive topics. A summary will be added to the notes.
Board Composition
- Total Seats: 5
- Term Duration: 2 years per term
- Rolling terms: 4 months for the first 5 board members. Starting at 1 year of service the initial board members will start stepping down or running for an additional term to be replaced by a newly elected board member.
- A board member can sit a maximum of 2 consecutive terms.
- A previous board member can run for re-election after taking one term off.
- Staggering board members serves the purposes of continuity of service and stability within PA-A, and avoids a time where all board members are new.
Qualifications for Board Membership:
Board members are to lead by example, demonstrating commitment to the PA-A mission & vision. Actively engaging with community members. Active membership includes attending meetings, engaging in service positions on the meeting level as Secretary or Leader, and/or ongoing participation on any PA-A committee, sponsorship role, literature development, etc.
Seats 1-3
- Have completed all 12 steps of any 12 step program.
- Have over 5 years of 12 step experience. (They must have 5 out of the last 7 years active in any 12-step program).
- Have attended PA-A meetings for over one year consecutively, and concurrently.
- Have a current sponsor in PA-A or another 12 step program (including sponsorship pods, or individual sponsorship).
- Are currently sponsoring other members.
- Have served as a secretary for 6 months, and led at least 6 meetings within PA-A in the last 12 months.
- Be actively participating in service positions within the community. (committees, meeting leader, meeting secretary, literature development, board membership? etc.).
Seats 4-5
- Must be working the 12 steps currently, or have completed the 12 steps.
- Have attended PA-A meetings for over 6 months consecutively, and concurrently.
- Have a current sponsor in PA-A, or any other 12 step programs.
- Be sponsoring other members, and/or active in a sponsorship pod.
- Have served, or are serving as a meeting secretary, and led at least 6 meetings within PA-A.
- Be actively participating in service positions within the community. (committees, meeting leader, meeting secretary, literature development etc.)
**Parental Alienation Anonymous Trustee Advisory Board positions.**
Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A) Trustee Board is enhancing it’s structure by incorporating five advisory positions to guide the community with diverse perspectives and specialized expertise. Three advisory positions will be open to individuals within the PA-A community (called internal community advisory positions), and two seats will be open for individuals outside of the community (called external advisory positions), that have unique skills or expertise to advise the PA-A Board. All advisory positions are non-voting positions.
This framework outlines the roles and responsibilities of both internal community advisory positions and external advisory positions.
**Internal Community Advisory Positions**: 3 Seats
– **Purpose**: To enrich board discussions and decisions with a diverse array of skills, experiences, and insights from within the PA-A community.
– **Inclusion**: Allow members who do not meet the full Board qualification criteria to share their experience, strength, and hope, contributing meaningfully to community development.
– **Election**: These advisors will be elected by a majority vote and a minimum of three votes by the sitting PA-A Trustee Service Board.
– **Term**: 6 months.
– **Role**:
– Introduce relevant topics and discussions.
– Offer insights and experiences to inform board initiatives.
– Support strategic development and enhance deliberations without holding voting rights.
**External Advisory Positions**: 2 Seats
– **Purpose**: To incorporate external expertise and insights that complement the existing skill set of Board members, especially during periods of growth, or when addressing complex issues.
– **Term**: 6 months.
– **Role**:
– Provide specialized knowledge and external perspectives.
– Assist the board in navigating challenges and expanding its reach.
– Contribute valuable insights into board discussions, without voting rights.
**Overall Goal**
By integrating these advisory roles, the PA-A Trustee Service Board seeks to enhance its capability to support the community effectively. This approach enables the Service Board to address challenges comprehensively, leverage a wider range of expertise, and facilitate and enrich the leadership and effectiveness of PA-A .
Election and Appointment Process
- Selection of Initial Service Board:
- The first board will be appointed based on current members who are actively serving the community at large, and fulfill the requirements to serve.
- Subsequent Elections:
- Subsequent service boards will be elected, to ensure continuity and effective transition between outgoing and incoming service board members.
- Filling Vacancies:
- If a service board member chooses to leave before their term is complete, the remaining service board members will nominate a replacement or replacements. A replacement service board member will need a majority vote for nomination and a minimum of three votes. This newly appointed board member will finish the remaining term of the departed board member. That seat would then be filled by standard election .
- For a nominee to be elected to fill a vacant position, all active service board members must unanimously vote “Yes.”
Expectations of Board Members
- Leadership and Community Engagement:
- Board members are to lead by example, demonstrating commitment to the PA-A mission, vision and actively engaging with community members. Active membership includes attending meetings, engaging in service positions on the meeting level as Secretary or Leader, and/or ongoing participation on any PA-A committee, literature development, etc.
- Strategic Guidance:
- Provide strategic oversight and guidance for PA-A’s operations and initiatives.
- Collaboration and Decision-Making:
- Work collaboratively with other board members to facilitate decision-making processes that align with the goals and values of PA-A.
- Service Commitment:
- Uphold a strong commitment to service, ensuring that PA-A continues to provide meaningful support to its members.
By establishing this framework, PA-A aims to maintain a dynamic and dedicated board that embodies the principles and values of the 12-step program, ensuring long-term success, stability, and sustainability.
** Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A) Trustee Service Board Member Responsibilities Document**
The Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A) Trustee Service Board is an essential body tasked with ensuring the effective leadership and strategic direction of the PA-A 12-step community. While the board is currently referred to as the ” Service Board,” members can vote to change its name to better reflect its purpose within the community, requiring a minimum of three affirmative votes from current board members to enact any changes.
Board Responsibilities
- Approval of New Materials.
- Review and approve new literature, scripts, documents, and any proposed changes related to PA-A’s 12-step guided program and existing literature.
- Oversee standard security protocols for every meeting.
- Any existing documents or documents currently being created will not fall under this category, but the board has the option to revisit any finalized documents and adjust and edit them if needed.
- Meeting scripts are determined at the individual group level, however there are some PA-A components that will be required for every meeting script, including:
- Standard security protocols for every meeting.
- PA-A Opening.
- PA-A Serenity Prayer as adapted on the PA-A website.
- PA-A Preamble.
- Links to the Welcome announcement, Newcomer packet, PA-A Literature, Meeting schedule, Sponsorship, Group Conscience, 7th Tradition and any new links that are added.
- Twelve Steps as adapted on the PA-A website when applicable.
- Twelve Traditions as adapted on the PA-A website when applicable.
- The Promises, as adapted on the PA-A website when applicable.
- PAA Closing.
- Ensure all materials align with PA-A’s values and mission, supporting the continuity and integrity of the program.
- Support and Guidance:
- Provide support to secretaries, leaders, and community members, addressing questions by guiding them to appropriate resources, or offering actionable steps to resolve issues.
- There will be a service board dedicated email address available to the PA-A community for any questions, motions to add additional resources, scripts and or infrastructure.
- The board will maintain open communication channels with the PA-A community to foster an inclusive and supportive environment.
- Feedback on New Frameworks, questions and suggestions:
- Evaluate new frameworks and scripts, providing constructive feedback to ensure they adhere to PA-A guidelines. Provide a standardized form for adding new meetings.
- All new & edited scripts will need to be submitted to the board for approval before use?
- Collaborate with content creators to enhance the quality and relevance of PA-A materials.
- Ensuring Collaborative Leadership:
- Serve as a unified body. ensuring that no single individual directs the overall path of the PA-A 12-step program.
- Engage in collaborative decision-making to represent diverse perspectives and maintain balanced leadership.
- Supporting and creating new committees:
- The board will support any existing committees by approving new documents and frameworks. The board will provide standardized forms for committees to follow.
- The board will approve new committees and have a standard process for members to request new committees.
- Committees will be required to send a quarterly update to the board to maintain their active status.
- The finalized quarterly update shall be made public by the board.
- Emails can be sent to “PA-A Service Board” (PAAserviceboard@gmail.com )as a means of communicating concerns and issues from all PA-A members.
Connection to Parental Alienation Advocates:
- The Service Board has no authority over the Parental Alienation Advocates organization. It currently remains connected to the overarching mission, contributing insight and support to further shared goals.
- Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A 12-step) is currently part of Parental Alienation Advocates, a 501 C 3 non profit ( PA-A advocates) – in time, it might establish its own autonomous path. In order to do this, all sitting board members would need to unanimously vote yes.
Additional Opportunities for Service:
- Board members are encouraged to participate in other committees or service opportunities within the PA-A community or related initiatives, furthering their contribution to the mission.
The PA-A Board is committed to enriching the community through strategic leadership and support, ensuring that all efforts align with our core mission of providing a safe recovery-based meeting environment that aims to ensure that any person struggling with the effects of parental alienation, estrangement or erasure has a safe place to start the recovery process. Board members are integral to fostering a vibrant and sustainable PA-A community, dedicated to continuous improvement and support for all members.
** Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A) Trustee Service Board Election Process Document**
The election process for the Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A) Trustee Service Board ensures a fair and transparent method for selecting committed individuals to lead and guide the community. This document outlines the procedures for conducting board elections at the end of each two year term.
Election Process
- Nomination and Volunteer Election Process:
- Current board members may choose to run again for their existing positions to continue serving the community. With a maximum of two consecutive terms.
- Members who meet the required qualifications can nominate themselves to be included on the election ballot.
- Please email the board if you are unsure if you meet the qualifications.
- Ballot Preparation and Distribution:
- Ballots will be every January on a yearly basis starting in 2026 as we will have rolling positions to be filled.
- 90 Days Before the Election: Requirements for ballot nominations will be sent to all members, detailing the necessary qualifications and process for self-nomination.
- 60 Days Before the Election: Interested candidates must submit documentation via email outlining their qualifications for board membership. Qualified candidates will be added to the ballot.
- 30 Days Before the current Term Ends: The election ballot will be closed and distributed electronically to all active members for anonymous voting.
- Voting and Election:
- Anonymous Voting: Voting will be conducted via a secure link sent to all active members listed on the phone list to ensure privacy and confidentiality.
- Top Five Vote Getters: Candidates receiving the most votes will fill the open board seats, provided they meet the qualifications for the positions 1-3 and positions 4-5 membership requirements.
- Handling Withdrawals:
- Should an elected board member choose not to accept their position, the candidate with the next highest votes will assume the seat.
Member Communication and Voting Eligibility
- An active email list will be compiled, ensuring only current active members are eligible to participate in the voting process(this is key and important that stakeholders are involved).
Transition, mentoring, advisory and Support
- Smooth Transition:
- Outgoing board members will facilitate a smooth transition by attending the first one to two meetings with the incoming board, if necessary.
- They will provide all necessary documentation, links, and access to resources required by existing board members and the new board members.
- Ongoing Support:
- One outgoing board member will volunteer to remain available to the new board for an additional six months to offer guidance and support as needed.
- Staggering board members.
This framework ensures that the PA-A Trustee Service Board continues to be composed of dedicated individuals committed to furthering the mission of Parental Alienation Anonymous. By maintaining a structured election process, PA-A guarantees continuity and sustained support for its members through collaborative and effective leadership.
**Diversity Statement for Parental Alienation Anonymous Trustee Board**
In Parental Alienation Anonymous (PA-A), we recognize that our strength lies in the rich diversity of our community. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where trustee service board members represent a broad spectrum of ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic resources and backgrounds.
Our goal is to ensure that diverse perspectives inform our decision-making processes, enhancing our ability to address the complexities of parental alienation with empathy and understanding. We believe that a diverse board enriches our dialogue, drives innovation, and is essential to fulfilling our mission of supporting all individuals affected by alienation, estrangement, and erasure.
By embracing diversity, we strive to create an equitable and welcoming community that reflects the multifaceted nature of the world we serve. Together, we work to empower all voices and uphold the values of respect, inclusion, and unity in everything we do.
