Bridging The Gap Committee
Volunteer Guidelines:
Part of Bridging
The Gap between a treatment program and A.A. is The temporary Contact Program,
which is designed to help the alcoholic in an alcoholism treatment program make
the transition into AA. One of the most ‘slippery’ places in the journey of
sobriety is between the doors of the treatment facility and the nearest A.A.
group or meeting. As a BTG volunteer, you can introduce the program of
Alcoholics Anonymous to newcomers. When you sign up as a temporary contact, your
name is placed on the Bridge the Gap volunteer list, along with the information
you provide. When someone in treatment requests a BTG contact, a BTG committee
member matches that person’s name with a temporary contact volunteer. If you
agree to become a temporary contact, please take some time to become familiar
with the BTG guidelines.
Volunteer’s Commitment:
As a volunteer member of the Bridge the Gap program, your commitment
consists of introducing your new contact to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous
in his or her community. Treatment facility clients who have signed up to have a
temporary contact will be expecting you to:
Make arrangements with your contact before they leave treatment. If this is not
possible, contact them within 24 hours of their release. Familiarize the contact
with AA meeting formats and explain what the newcomer can expect at his/her
first meeting. Attend 3-6 meetings with your contact and introduce the newcomer
to other sober members of AA. Explain ‘sponsorship’, and possibly provide the
pamphlet, ‘Questions and Answers on Sponsorship’. Explain the value of having a
home group to your contact. Help the newcomer become familiar with AA
literature. Explain that the book Alcoholics Anonymous is our basic text.
Please Do Not:
Provide any form of financial support. Become a source of transportation.
Provide any sort of social or counseling service. Debate or offer opinions
outside the scope of your experience with the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Provide medical or psychiatric services. Offer religious services. Sponsor the
newcomer.
The following pamphlets may be helpful
to you:
Bridging the Gap—GSO Pamphlet P-49
AA at a Glance -F-1
Information on AA– F-2
Primary Purpose Card– F-17
If you are interested in volunteering as a Bridge The Gap Temporary Contact, please fill out the information on the bottom of this page. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. We are not affiliated with any treatment programs, and have no opinion on outside issues.