What works in one place may not fit in another. Large veterans’ hospitals with long-term patients can use Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) help in some ways. But a small detox station may use entirely different services.

The Treatment Facilities Kit available from the General Service Office contains a workbook, guidelines, sample letters, suggested presentations to clients and professionals, and other information that may be useful to local treatment facilities communities.

If your area does not have a treatment facility committee, you may have to start one. Some local and area hospital and institution committees also do this work. A careful study of each local situation is necessary, and AAs have found it takes great flexibility to do this kind of Twelfth-stepping: In some places, the local treatment facilities committee and the committee on co-operation with the professional community (if there is one) work together to help bridge the gap between a treatment facility and an AA group. Some AA districts and areas have bridging the gap or temporary contact committees.

There is no one “right” way; many different arrangements worked out between institutions and AA groups can be effective. For example, one treatment facility keeps a list of former patients now sober in AA.

When someone is about to be discharged, the facility calls one of these past patients, who then becomes a “temporary” contact for the newly discharged patient and helps get him or her established in AA. The AA Estcourt branch hosts meetings every Tuesday at Forderville Primary School from 7pm to 8pm. Contact Desigan on 082 849 3014.