Treatment

Treatment Committee

Extending the Hand of Alcoholics Anonymous

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.

Basic Committee Functions

The purpose of Treatment Committee is to assist members to carry the message of Alcoholics Anonymous to Treatment Facilities and outpatient settings. The Active Treatment Committee provides information about A.A. as well as literature and guidelines for setting up A.A. meetings in treatment facilitates and outpatient settings.

Treatment settings may include; treatment facilities, hospitals, psychiatric wards, nursing homes, youth non-correctional facilities, shelters, halfway houses, veteran facilities, senior centers, etc.

The Treatment Committee is in contact with District Committee members who will link with members in their district who are willing to extend the hand of A.A. to those released to their community after completion of a treatment facility program. The following form for signing-up for this program is available:

Bridging the Gap Form (PDF, 1 page)
For those leaving a treatment facility who want some help getting to the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. This form can be downloaded, completed and returned to the Chair of the BC/Yukon A.A. Treatment Committee by email or ground mail.
Bridging the Gap Form (Submittable)***
For those leaving a treatment facility who want some help getting to the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. This form can be completed online and sent directly to the Chair of the BC/Yukon A.A. Treatment Committee.

Additional Resources from Area 79

Bridging the Gap Flyer (PDF, 1 page)
Flyer providing contact information for those wishing to participate in the Bridging the Gap program upon release from a treatment facility.
3 Fold BTG Pamphlet (PDF, 2 pages)
Informational flyer for those who have expressed an interest in the Bridging The Gap program.

Committee Chair

The Treatment Committee Chair is an appointed position on the General Service Committee. For more information about the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson, please see the Job Description below.

Contact the Treatment Chair

For those wishing to submit their resumes for either an elected or appointed position on the Area 79 Area Service Committee, please download the suggested service resume form Service Resume. The link will reroute you to our elections section of our website. The use of the resume form is not mandatory for either elected positions or appointed positions. However, its use does assist both the candidate and the Fellowship in several ways. These include the provision of consistent information in an organized way and assisting candidates in adhering to time limits for presentation of resumes.

To let your name stand for an appointed position please see: Elections Page

Further Information

The links below are to pages on A.A.’s World Services Website (www.aa.org) from which the following resources may be accessed:

Treatment Facilities Workbook (M-40I) (pdf)
A.A. Guidelines for Treatment Facilities Committees (pdf)

Treatment/Bridging the Gap Committee Chair: Job Description

The treatment/bridging the gap committee in BC/Yukon Area 79 falls under the responsibility of the treatment and accessibilities chair position.

The treatment chair for BC/Yukon Area 79 serves the fellowship in a way that directly impacts the lives of many suffering alcoholics. Many new people entering Alcoholics Anonymous today come to us via treatment facilities. The treatment chair works with districts, treatment chairs and Bridging the Gap chairs in the area to reach out to the alcoholics in these facilities. We also cooperate with the administration staff of these facilities in any way we can.

Duties

  • Facilitate the Bridging the Gap program in cooperation with district committee members.
  • Arrange temporary A.A. contacts when someone leaves a facility.
  • Reply to email from people reaching out for help.
  • Assist districts, groups and members in carrying the message and organizing meetings in treatment settings, which may include treatment facilities, hospitals, detox centres, psychiatric wards, nursing homes, youth non correctional facilities, shelters, halfway houses, veterans’ facilities, seniors’ centres, etc.
  • Stay in touch with district treatment and/or Bridging the Gap chairs and hospital and institution Chairs by way of monthly virtual meetings and phone/email as needed. 
  • Be available to assist districts in setting up treatment and or bridging the gap or hospital and institution committees through workshops; providing information about treatment, bridging the gap or hospital and institutions to individual members.
  • Maintain familiarity with our 12 traditions and the Treatment Workbook’s guidance on working with treatment facilities.

Duties Common to all ASC Members

  • Attend and participate in all regularly scheduled Area Service Committee (ASC) meetings (held in Vancouver on the first Wednesday of each month). Meetings could also be held virtually when necessary.
  • Reply to email, telephone and written questions. Willingness to learn and develop computer/technical skills as necessary.
  • Attend and participate in all quarterlies and assemblies in-person or virtually as required.
  • At each quarterly, assembly and ASC meeting, provide reports on activities since the previous event.
  • Chair appropriate committee at quarterlies and assemblies. Assist with venue set up and tear down.
  • Maintain contact with district and local committee chairs.
  • Maintain contact with district committee members (DCMs) assigned to ASC member’s committee.
  • Submit regular monthly expense reports to the treasurer.
  • Participate in preparation for the General Service Conference by reviewing and summarizing the assigned agenda background material, providing information to DCMs, chairing the committee meeting at the Pre-conference Assembly, and providing the committee’s recommendations to the assembly and delegate.
  • Facilitate workshops.
  • Participate on Ad Hoc committees as required.
  • Be available for travel assignments, including taking Area 79 archives and/or Grapevine kits to A.A. events.
  • Review www.bcyukonaa.org content as it relates to the member’s position, providing updates and new materials to the website chair as needed.
  • Prepare and assist for transition of your position at end of your rotation. Ensure flash drive is updated regularly and provided to Secretary annually.
  • Maintaining blue boards/display boards and literature supplies for travel events.

Further Considerations

  • The time commitment required is substantial and will vary from position to position, and also with the particular skills possessed by the member. Generally, some time will be spent every day to check and respond to emails and phone messages. Some jobs have workloads that are heavier at certain times than at others.
  • It is encouraged that you speak with members of the ASC (current or past) to ask more specific questions if you wish to put your name forward for a position.
  • Area Service Committee membership may sound demanding, but, as we so often find in A.A., the rewards are far greater than time and effort put in.