Treatment Facilities Committee

Purpose

Treatment facilities committees are formed to coordinate the work of individual A.A. members and groups who are interested in carrying our message of recovery to alcoholics in treatment facilities, and to set up means of "bridging the gap" from the facility to an A.A. group in the individual's community.

A treatment facilities committee may function within the structure of a general service committee on the area or district level or it may serve within the structure of a central office/intergroup. Prior to forming these committees, this Twelfth Step work is sometimes handled by an individual group or member. As A.A. groups grow in number in a community, experience suggests that a committee works more effectively.

In some parts of the country, A.A.s interested in carrying the message into treatment and correctional facilities work together on Hospitals and Institutions committees independent of, but in cooperation with, general service and intergroup committees. This structure also works well - especially in areas where lines of communication between the various service entities remain open.

History

Since A.A.’s co-founders first stayed sober by carrying the A.A. message into hospitals, many other alcoholics have discovered the great value to their own sobriety of working with suffering alcoholics in treatment facilities.

In 1934, Bill W. kept trying to help drunks in Towns Hospital in New York City. None of them seemed interested at that time, but Bill stayed sober. Dr. Bob worked with thousands of alcoholics at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio. In 1939, Rockland State Hospital, a New York mental institution, was the site of one of our first A.A. hospital groups.

Today many A.A. meetings take place in treatment facilities all over the world. Twelfth Stepping and sponsoring other alcoholics - where they are-has long been one of the most important and satisfying ways of keeping ourselves sober.

Services to treatment facilities used to be combined with corrections facilities under the title Institutions Committee. In 1977 the General Service Conference voted to dissolve its Institutions Committee and form two new committees, one on correctional facilities and one on treatment facilities. For more information on A.A.'s work in hospitals and treatment centers, see the book AA Comes of Age.

Functions of the Committee

1. With approval of administration, takes A.A. meetings into facilities within its area.

2. Encourages group participation. In some areas each group has a representative on the T.F. committee.

3. Coordinates temporary contact programs.

4. Arranges purchase and distribution of literature for these groups and meetings.

Bridging The Gap Volunteer Online

"Bridging The Gap" Volunteer Form

Treatment Facilities Inventory Survey

Treatment Facilities Guidelines (G.S.O. Website)

For more information e-mail: tfc@nnjaa.org