Hospitals & Institutions
Subcommittee Info:
Hospitals & Institutions (H&I) meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
Time: 6:30 p.m. (hybrid) Zoom Info 858-8728-9178
Where: 455 Island Pond Road, Springfield MA 01118
Contact: 413hina@gmail.com
Commitment / Speaker Info
Commitment Holders – please fill out this form monthly to report to H&I about your commitment. Along with attending the monthly H&I subcommittee.
Interested Speakers – please fill out this form if you would like to be put on the speaker list for H&I members to reach out when looking for a commitment.
The Purpose of Hospitals & Institutions (H&I)
The purpose of an H&I meeting is to carry the NA message of recovery to addicts who do not have full access to regular Narcotics Anonymous meetings. H&I meetings/presentations, except for those in longer-term facilities, are intended to simply introduce those attending to some of the basics of the NA program.
The Hospitals & Institutions (H&I) Subcommittee of the Western Mass Area Service Committee is a group of men and women from the fellowship of NA who believe in the concept: “to assure that no addict seeking recovery need ever die without having had the chance to find a better way of life, and from this day forward may we better provide the necessary service.” We believe, “that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way of life.”
We can only keep what we have by giving it away. -IP#1 Who, What, How & Why
Who Can Get Involved with H&I?
Anyone with a clear and consistent Narcotics Anonymous message who is willing to share is well suited for H&I work. An H&I meeting provides the first exposure to Narcotics Anonymous for many addicts, so it is imperative that we project a positive image because our fellowship as a whole may be judged on how we conduct ourselves
Clean Time Requirements
NO CLEAN TIME REQUIREMENT TO BE A SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBER!
Chairperson – 2 Years
Vice Chairperson – 2 Years
Secretary – 1 Year
Alt Secretary – 1 Year
Literature Coordinator – 1 Year
Commitment Holder – 6 Months
Facilities Coordinator – 1 Year
Orientation Coordinator – 1 Year
Speakers – 90 Days – 1 Year
Subcommittee Member – 1 Day Clean!
Our message is that an addict, any addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live. Our message is hope and the promise of freedom. -Basic Text, page 65
Types of Facilities we Serve & Our Message
Detox, CSS, TSS, EATS, Inpatient Psychiatric, County Jail, DOC (if in Area), Pre-Release
Whatever type of facility we are in, regardless of age, race or sexual identity the message is always the same. We carry a message of recovery from the disease of addiction through the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous. We focus on our similarities, not our differences which are insignificant compared to our purpose. Just as addiction does not discriminate, our members learn to practice the spiritual principle of anonymity. All addicted persons seeking recovery are welcome in NA. addicts, so it is imperative that we project a positive image because our fellowship as a whole may be judged on how we conduct ourselves
Some Do's & Don'ts when doing H&I Commitments
Do's
- Do start and end meetings on time
- Do adhere to clean time requirements from subcommittee & facility
- Do involve residents with the meeting, especially those in long-term treatment facilities (readings, sharing, etc.)
- Do emphasize the importance of getting to an NA meeting the first day out of the treatment facility
- Do share a clear message about NA recovery
Don'ts
- Don’t go into Facilities alone (2 members minimum)
- Don’t give money or contraband to any resident
- Don’t use excessive profanity or share vulgar stories
- Don’t make any comments or promises regarding employments, parole, probation, or medical problems
- Don’t debate issues involving the facility’s rules, regulations, programs, or other fellowships with residents or staff
