Chattanooga Area of Narcotics Anonymous

SUBCOMMITTEE GUIDELINES

Table of Contents

I.     DEFINITION AND PURPOSE  3

II.       FUNCTIONS OF THE CASC H&I SUBCOMMITTEE  3

III.      MEMBERSHIP  4

IV.      VOTING   4

V.       SUBCOMMITTEE TRUSTED SERVANT POSITIONS  4

CHAIRPERSON   4

VICE-CHAIRPERSON   5

SECRETARY   6

LITERATURE COORDINATOR   6

PANEL COORDINATOR   7

PANEL LEADER   8

PANEL MEMBERS/SPEAKERS  9

VI.      GROUNDs FOR REMOVAL FROM OFFICE  9

VII.     GENERAL INFORMATION  11

I.               DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

“The purpose of an H&l Subcommittee is to carry the N.A. message of recovery to addicts who do not have full access to regular Narcotics Anonymous meetings. H&I panels, except for those in longer term facilities, are in tended to simply introduce those attending to some of the basics of the N.A. program.” - WSO H&l Handbook

The Hospitals and Institutions (H&I) Subcommittee of the Chattanooga Area Service Committee (CASC) is a group of men and women from the fellowship of Narcotics Anonymous (N.A.) who believe in the concept “To assure that no addict seeking recovery need die without having had the chance to find a better way of life, from this day forward may we better provide the necessary services.”

This concept should always be our primary purpose. So that when an addict who is housed in a correctional institution, hospital, or recovery house reaches out for recovery, Narcotics Anonymous will be there.

This committee shall be autonomous, but as a subcommittee of the CASC, shall be directly responsible to the CASC and ultimately to the members we serve.

II.               FUNCTIONS OF THE CASC H&l SUBCOMMITTEE

A.      To communicate information and to disburse literature to and from all institutional panels through their panel representatives.

B.      To conduct monthly business meeting

C.      To provide an H&I service representative to the Area and the Regional levels.

D.      To conduct H&I Orientations/Learning days quarterly

         E.      Create and submit an annual operating budget to the CASC   

III.            MEMBERSHIP

Membership to the H&I subcommittee shall be open to any member of N.A. willing to participate.

IV.           VOTING

A.      Eligible voters include: The Panel Coordinator, Panel Leaders elected officers participating panel members.

B.      Any member who has attended two consecutive committee meetings.

C.      Any voting member missing two consecutive Chattanooga Area H&l Subcommittee meetings looses their voting privileges until they meet the Area H&l Subcommittee guideline requirements.

V.              SUBCOMMITTEE TRUSTED SERVANT POSITIONS

                   A facilitation committee of officers shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and a Secretary. The Vice Chairperson and Secretary are to be elected by a majority vote of eligible voters of the H&I Subcommittee. The Chattanooga Area will elect the H&I Chairperson.  March will be the subcommittee meeting that we vote in new V. Chair Secretary, Panel Coordinator, and Literature chair. It is suggested that all trusted servants of this subcommittee serve a term of one year, except for panel leaders or panel members (see description.)

CHAIRPERSON

Chairperson should have at least three years clean time, plus a minimum of two years activity in H&I work. Responsibilities include:

1.    Ensure that the Twelve Traditions and Twelve Concepts of Narcotics Anonymous are upheld in all matters.  Has a working knowledge of  the CASC H&I Subcommittee Guidelines

2.    Prepares the monthly subcommittee agenda. Brings before the general meeting of the subcommittee matters they should act upon.

3.    Carries out policies and orders for the subcommittee

4.    Attends and reports at all Area Service Committee meetings and Regional H&l meetings.

5.    Conducts Orientation/Learning Day in January, April, July, and October.

6.    Appoints ad-hoc committees for special needs and considerations of this subcommittee.

7.    Maintains all hospital, institution and recovery house guidelines, rules and regulations.

8.    Chairperson assumes the duties of literature coordinator if vacant or absent. (see Lit. coordinator duties on pg. 6)

VICE-CHAIRPERSON

Vice-Chairperson should have at least two year clean time, plus a minimum of one-year activity in H&I work. Responsibilities include:

1.    Ensure that the Twelve Tradition and Twelve Concepts of Narcotics Anonymous are upheld in all matters.  Has a working knowledge of  the CASC H&I Subcommittee Guidelines

2.    Assumes the responsibilities of the Chairperson in the event of their absence at a subcommittee, Area, or Regional level.

3.    If the office of the Chairperson becomes vacant, serves as the Chair until confirmed by CASC or until a new Chair is elected.

4.    Helps Chairperson keep proceedings orderly

5.    Coordinates new panels.

6.    Coordinates with chairperson to put on Orientations/Learning Days.

7.    Maintains all hospital, institution and recovery house guidelines, rules and regulations.

8.    Attends a minimum 3 CASC meetings and a minimum of 3 Regional H&I Subcommittee meetings per term.

9.    May have other responsibilities as determined by the subcommittee

SECRETARY

Secretary should have at least nine months clean time plus a minimum of three months activity in NA service. Responsibilities include:

1.    Ensure that the Twelve Tradition and Twelve Concepts of Narcotics Anonymous are upheld in all matters.  Has a working knowledge of  the CASC H&I Subcommittee Guidelines

2.    Takes an accurate set of minutes at each monthly meeting and makes them available to the CASC Website Coordinator and at the beginning of the next monthly meeting.

3.    Maintains an ongoing file of all institution guidelines, rules, regulations, correspondence, and minutes.

4.    Keeps an accurate record of all committee members including email addresses and phone numbers.

LITERATURE COORDINATOR

 Literature Coordinator should have six months clean time.

Responsibilities:

1.    Ensure that the Twelve Tradition and Twelve Concepts of    Narcotics Anonymous are upheld in all matters.  Has a working knowledge of the CASC H&I Subcommittee Guidelines.

2.    Obtain facility literature orders from panel leaders at monthly H&I Subcommittee meeting and delivers them to Area Literature Chairperson for fulfillment.

3.    Obtains literature from CASC, stamps and distributes said literature to panel leader within one week of CASC meeting.  Also, distributes any other items the subcommittee uses in carrying the message at the monthly subcommittee meeting.

PANEL COORDINATOR

Panel Coordinator should have one year clean time and at least six months activity in institutional work. Responsibilities include:

1.    Ensure that the Twelve Tradition and Twelve Concepts of Narcotics Anonymous are upheld in all matters.  Has a working knowledge of the CASC H&I Subcommittee Guidelines.

2.    Attends general committee meeting. If unable, must make report available to the Chairperson before the meeting.

3.    Instructs panel leaders in institutional requirements, regulations and general rules covering the institution being served.

4.    Attends initial panel with new panel leader in order to familiarize the new panel leader with the facility.

5.    Provides panel leaders with suggested format

6.    Acts as liaison between the H&l subcommittee and the given facility.

7.    Reports attendance and/or problems to the general committee at its monthly meeting.

8.    Provides an up-to-date contact sheet to the Secretary and to the institution they serve of the Panel Leaders and Panel Members.

PANEL LEADER

Panel Leader should have one year clean time and a minimum of three months service commitment at the H&I Subcommittee as a panel member. He or she shall be qualified and assigned by the Subcommittee and also be cleared by the institution whenever necessary.

Panel Leaders serve a term of 6 months and will be voted in at March or October Subcommittee Meeting.

Responsibilities include:

1.    Ensure that the Twelve Tradition and Twelve Concepts of Narcotics Anonymous are upheld in all matters.  Has a working knowledge of the CASC H&I Subcommittee Guidelines.

2.    Attendance at one H&I Orientation/Learning Day within the term.

3.    Coordinates schedules of Panel Members at respective facility.

4.    Attends H&L Subcommittee meetings. If unable, must notify Chairperson or Panel Coordinator in advance of H&I Subcommittee meeting.  If unable to fulfill their panel commitment, must notify Chairperson or Panel Coordinator.  Failure to do so or failure to attend two subcommittee meeting in succession may result in removal from their panel at the discretion of the subcommittee.

5.    Is familiar with committee guidelines and institutional rules.

6.    Informs H&I Panel Members of scheduled quarterly H&I Orientation/ Learning Days.  Accepts responsibility for the conduct of any speakers taken into the institution and instructs said speakers in advance regarding the regulations of the institution being served. Reviews Dos and Don’ts as published in the WSO H&I Handbook.

7.    Reports problems or any special needs concerning the panel to the Panel Coordinator and subcommittee.

8.    Provides, updates, and maintains the institution with N.A. literature and meeting schedules stamped with the CASC phone line number.

PANEL MEMBERS/SPEAKERS

 Panel Members/Speakers Should have at least three months clean time in Narcotics Anonymous before attending an H&I meeting and six months clean time before speaking at one.

1.    Ensure that the Twelve Tradition and Twelve Concepts of    Narcotics Anonymous are upheld in all matters.  Has a working knowledge of the CASC H&I Subcommittee Guidelines.

2.    Must attend at least one H&I Orientation/Learning Day before Speaking at an institution/facility.

3.    Must carry a clear and consistent Narcotics Anonymous message.

4.    Suggested participation at monthly H&I Subcommittee meeting.

VI.           GROUND FOR REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

A.   Loss of abstinence.

B.   Failure of any committee officers to attend general committee meetings is disruptive and may prevent a person’s ability to affectively communicate with the Subcommittee. If unable to attend, notification and arrangements must be made with the Chairperson or Panel Coordinator in advance of general meeting.  Failure to do so or failure to attend two general meetings in succession may result in removal from their panel at the discretion of the Subcommittee.

C.   If Panel leaders are unable to fulfill their panel commitment, they must notify the Chairperson or Panel Coordinator.  Failure to do so or failure to attend two general meetings in succession may result in removal from their panel at the discretion of the Subcommittee.

VII.         GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Any member of the H&I subcommittee is automatically disqualified from further H&I activity upon relapse, but may again become eligible when he or she can conform to the requirements in these guidelines. Being clean for the purposes of this H&I subcommittee shall be defined as complete abstinence from all drugs.

2. Any member not conforming to these requirements or any other which might be added later, or who refuses to abide by the rules and regulations of the facility, shall automatically be relieved of any H&I subcommittee assignments.

3. No Narcotics Anonymous meeting regularly conducted under the auspices of the H&I subcommittee shall be held in any facility except when directly supervised by the H&I subcommittee or its delegated leader. This appointment must be acceptable to the facility being served.

4. Any NA member who is involved with a given facility on a professional or volunteer basis should not participate in the panels serving the addicts in that facility. This is intended to avoid possible conflict and the resulting damage to: (a) the inmate or patient inside, or (b) the working ability and privilege of the subcommittee to carry the message inside the facility. For these same reasons, no H&I member will interfere with or use influence in any facility, court, or hospital; nor with any judge, doctor, probation, or parole officer. Further, H&I members will not make any comments or promises regarding employment, parole, probation, or medical problems.

We carry only the message of Narcotics Anonymous: recovery from addiction through our spiritual program. Of course, these members may participate on panels going to other facilities.

5. Length of time clean required by each facility is to be rigidly upheld by all H&I panel leaders.

6. Excessive use of profanity or the use of vulgar stories in your sharing is strictly prohibited by the authorities of all facilities, and strongly discouraged by the H&I subcommittee.

7. Any member of the H&I subcommittee on parole will only be allowed to participate in or attend an H&I meeting in any facility being served by the subcommittee with the express clearance of the authorities of the facility, if applicable.

8. H&I panel members shall be responsible for their conduct in any facility, and they shall take responsibility to become informed in advance regarding the regulations of the facilities being served.

9. Printed instructions, which will include the foregoing and which shall be compiled and edited to fit the specific requirements of each separate facility, shall be furnished by this subcommittee to all panel members so that they will be in full knowledge of their responsibilities in connection with their individual assignments.

10. You are reminded that the H&I subcommittee exists to share the Narcotics Anonymous message—our experience, strength, and hope. H&I speakers should try to get residents involved with the H&I meeting/presentation through reading materials as well as through direct sharing. A personal contact should be established with any resident upon their release.