Idaho Area 18

Hospitals and Institutions West

 

 

 

 

AREA 18, H & I WEST Telephone #: (208)-906-2745

IDAHO AREA 18

HOSPITALS AND INSTITUTIONS WEST

GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

These guidelines are for the specific needs of H&I service work in the Western Idaho Area.  For more information and guidelines on conducting meetings in treatment and/or correctional facilities we encourage members to read the workbooks provided by the General Service Office of AA.

I.          DEFINITION:  The Hospitals and Institutions West (H & I West) is a Standing Committee of the Idaho Area 18 Committee of Alcoholics Anonymous.  It is made up of volunteer members from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Groups in the western side of the Idaho Area #18.  This western area consists of districts 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11.

II.         PURPOSE:  H & I West has been created in harmony with Tradition 9 of AA to unify efforts of 12 Step Work with volunteers interested in carrying the AA Message to alcoholics confined in hospitals, institutions, and treatment centers. 

III.        RESPONSIBILITIES:  H & I West shall operate within the guidelines of the General Service Office of AA.  These guidelines include the Treatment workbook, Correctional workbook, and Yellow service Guidelines.  These guidelines and procedures for the conduct of H & I West members have been adapted to better coordinate activities by clearly defining responsibilities of members, duties and succession of officers.

H & I West does not assume responsibility for any individual conducting a meeting.  Always remember we are guests of the institutions and therefore MUST comply with their wishes as long as we are staying within the confines of our Twelve Traditions and 12 Concepts.

IV.        COOPERATION:  Since the AA program is one of attraction rather than promotion, H & I West serves an institution at the invitation of the administration being ever mindful of “cooperation, not affiliation.”

 A member of H & I West cannot speak for AA as a whole.  The member speaks only for him or herself and tells his or her own story.  However, each member must keep in mind that when they participate in a meeting at an institution, they are often viewed as an AA representative, and should speak and act in such a way as to bring credit to AA.

V.         LITERATURE:  Only Conference approved literature, tapes, videotapes, and Grapevine magazines may be taken into institutions served by H & I West. H & I West will not be responsible for providing literature for display or for any profit or non-affiliated organizations.  In such instances, literature will be taken in for meetings approved by the H&I Area West Committee and distributed to individuals.
*Service Guidelines are provided by GSO, are not AA conference approved and can be revised by GSO at any time.
VI.        TREASURY:  A bank account shall be maintained in the name of H & I West with three (3) active H&I members signatures appearing on bank records with two (2) of these signatures required on each check issued.  All funds, which are collected by donations, are to be dispersed only for the purpose of carrying the AA message.  Any member may legitimately question whether funds are being disbursed for their intended use, by addressing them at the scheduled Area 18 H&I business meeting.
            “Pink Can” funds are only to be used for purchasing AA literature for hospitals and institutions

VII.       BUSINESS MEETINGS:  Business meetings shall be held once monthly at a time and place designated by the membership. 

VIII.      MEMBERSHIP:  Membership shall consist of all elected officers of the H & I West committee, District Representatives for H & I West, Group H & I Representatives, and Meeting Coordinators and any AA member performing service for Area 18 H&I west.     Although no sobriety requirements are made for membership, all members are bound to comply with the sobriety requirements for institutional service eligibility.

IX.        VOTING:  All members have a vote on all issues involving H & I West.

X.         ELECTIONS:  Election of officers shall be held once every two (2) years in August, with the officers elected taking office in January.  A list of nominees for office shall be submitted to the membership at the July Business Meeting.  Nominations may also be made from the floor at the August election meeting.  All voting shall be by written ballot with a simple majority deciding the winner of any given office.  The chairperson is an appointed position for the Idaho Area with accordance to the Area Guidelines.  The Chairperson we “elect” must be recommended by the outgoing Area 18 H&I West Chairperson for approval to the incoming Idaho Area Chairman at the Fall Assembly following our elections.

XI.  ELECTED OFFICERS:  (Eight (8) members of H & I West shall be elected every two (2) years to fill the following positions:

  • H & I West Chairperson 
  • Corrections Subcommittee Chairperson
  • Hospital/Treatment Center Subcommittee Chairperson
  • Bridge the Gap Subcommittee Chairperson
  • Secretary
  • Treasurer
  • Literature Chairperson
  • Co Chair

In all cases, the term of office is for two (2) years.  It is suggested all candidates for elective office meet the requirements stipulated in these Guidelines. An officer may resign at any time by giving notice to the H&I Area 18 committee. The H&I Area 18 Committee may elect a new officer to replace an office for not fulfilling their responsibilities and duties.  When an elected officer becomes unable to discharge the duties of his or her office, for any reason, a successor shall be named by the Chairperson and approved by H & I West Committee to complete the term of office.  Completion of a partial term by an appointee is not considered as a term served.

A.         REQUIREMENTS:  Through experience it has been found that, due to the responsibilities placed upon the individual doing institutional 12 Step Work and in keeping with the quality of the AA message we try to carry to those confined, the following requirements are strongly recommended:

H & I West Chairperson             3 years of continuous sobriety and at least 1 year concurrent active H & I committee experience

Co-Chairperson                         3 years of continuous sobriety and at least 1 year active H & I committee experience?

Corrections Chairperson             3 years of continuous sobriety and at least 1 year concurrent active H & I committee experience

Hospitals/Treatment Center Chairperson           3 years of continuous sobriety and at least 1 year concurrent active H & I committee experience

Bridge the Gap             3 years of continuous sobriety and at least 1 year concurrent active H & I committee experience

Treasurer                                  2 years continuous sobriety

Secretary                                  1-year continuous sobriety

Literature Chairperson                2 years of continuous sobriety

 

  • RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

It is assumed that any member of AA who joins the H & I West does so because they have recognized that Service within AA is a necessary part of their program of recovery, and that they are now willing to accept certain responsibilities.  The responsibilities of each active member of H & I West are set forth below.  Elected officers should attend PRAASA at Committee expense.

1.         H & I West Chairperson shall:

  • Preside at all regular, and special meetings.
  • Handle all public relations contacts involving H&I policy matters and/or interpretations at the public level.
  • Be responsible for interchange of correspondence at the public level, as well as all correspondence within H & I West that involves policy matters.
  • Make regular reports to the members of H & I West on the progress of new projects started or old business completed.
  • Meet with administrators of institutions in the interests of harmony, or to establish new panels as needed.
  • Work with District H & I Representatives to assist with dealing with any problems and/or public relations with any H & I meeting within each district.
  • In cooperation with the Co-Chairperson, to nominate individuals to fill vacant committee positions, per these guidelines.
  • Represent H & I West at the committee and full-body meetings of the Idaho Area Committee of AA.
  • Attend as many district and group meetings as possible.
  • The Chairperson shall have a copy of the current Guidelines available at all H & I meetings, and shall turn a copy of said Guidelines over to the successor.

2.         Co-Chairperson shall:

  • Shall, in the absence of the Chairperson or in the event of the inability of the Chairperson to perform or upon resignation of the Chairperson, assume all of the responsibilities normally carried out by the Chairperson.
  • In cooperation with the Chairperson, to nominate individuals to fill vacant committee positions, per these guidelines.
  • Shall work closely with the Chairperson in any capacity or situation as required by the Chairperson.
  • Shall submit monthly H & I West article to the Area and TVICO Newsletter.

3.          Corrections Chairperson:

  • Chairperson for the monthly corrections committee meeting. 
  • Responsible for prisons, jails, and work releases.
  • Responsible for public relations with facility administrators of, prisons, jails, and work releases.
  • Coordinator for working with correction coordinators and facilitators, Dist H & I Reps, and Group H & I Reps for all the districts in H & I West’s area.
  • Work with the volunteer coordinators and meeting facilitators for correction facilities to solve problems, and assist in setting up new meetings.

4.      Hospitals/Treatment Centers Chairperson:

    • Chairperson for the monthly hospital/Treatment Center meeting.
    • Responsible for hospitals, treatment centers, nursing/retirement homes, etc.
    • Responsible for public relations with facility administrators of hospitals, treatment centers, nursing/retirement homes, etc.
    • Work with the volunteer coordinators and meeting facilitators for Hospital/Treatment Center facilities to solve problems, and assist in setting up new meetings.
    • Work with the volunteer coordinators and meeting coordinators for Hospital/Treatment Center facilities to solve problems and assist in setting up new meetings.

5.      Bridge the Gap Chairperson:

  • Chairperson for monthly BTG meeting.
  • Ensure signup sheets and information is in institutions and correction facilities for people to sign up for BTG.
  • Work with corrections and hospital/Treatment Center volunteer coordinators for starting programs in their institutions.
  • Maintain a confidential volunteer list of AA members who are willing to correspond with anyone who sign-up for BTG.  Particular importance is to ensure that male works with male and female works with female.
  • Maintain communication with Area 18 H & I East to ensure that all requests for BTG contacts are answered.
  • Coordinate correspondence for TCP (Temporary Contact Program); picking up mail, responding to inquiries, obtain temporary contacts, and related duties as per GSO guidelines.
  • Maintain access to the National BTG online database for National BTG contacts.

 

6.         Secretary shall:

  • Keep a complete record, in the form of minutes, of every regular, special, and general meeting.
  • Keep such other records as are appropriate and necessary to the functioning of the Committee
  • Keep a continuing roster of monthly attendance at the business meetings.
  • Send notices or make telephone calls for regular or special meetings.
  • The Secretary shall have a copy of the current Guidelines available at all H & I meetings, and shall turn a copy of said Guidelines over to the successor.

 

7.         Treasurer shall:

  • Keep a record of financial obligations, accounts and monies, and make a report at each monthly business meeting to the H & I West members and prepare annual financial statement.  The monthly report shall include expenses and donations.
  • Disburse monies at the authorization by majority vote of the members of H & I West.
  • Send donation thank you notes

 

8.         Literature Chairperson shall:

  • Order Literature, handle requests for literature and disburse literature with the approval of H & I West Committee. (As written in bylaws dated 7/16/2008)
  • Prepare a quarterly usage and inventory report.

 

XII          Other Area 18 H&I West Service Positions

    Meeting Coordinator; 

  • Shall keep in close contact and work with the facility administration and meeting facilitators of the facility being served.
  • Shall keep an up-to-date list of all meeting volunteers (to include names, addresses, and telephone numbers).
  • Shall keep all meeting volunteers informed of the rules of the institution being served.
  • Be responsible for requesting and placing literature in the institution served.
  • Be responsible for issuing identification cards as needed.

Meeting Facilitator:

  • Be aware of all rules of the facility being served
  • Maintain contact with the facility coordinator
  • Follow the direction set forth in the AA workbooks, guidelines & pamphlets pertaining to facilitating an AA meeting.

Home Group H & I Representatives shall:

  • Represent their home group at monthly H&I business meetings, and reporting on H & I activities to their home group.
  • Encourage home group members to become involved in H & I service.
  • Obtain group conscious from home group regarding pertinent and important issues in H & I West and vote at H & I West business meetings in accordance with home group conscience.
  • Participate in normal H&I Business.

District H & I Representatives shall:

  • Attend monthly H & I West business meetings.
  • Encourage volunteers to help with H & I meetings within their district.
  • Assist the chairperson with dealing with any problems with H & I meetings within their district.
  • Report back to their district meetings on information about the H & I West meetings.

XIII.      GUIDELINE CHANGES:

May be submitted quarterly beginning in December, etc.  Approval will be done with a simple majority.  Revised Guidelines will be submitted by the secretary for signatures at the next scheduled H & I business meeting.  Signed copy of Guidelines is to be achieved in the Area 18 Archives.

Accepted and signed by voting members on this date __07/18/2009__
Signatures below

 

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