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HOSPITALS & INSTITUTIONS COMMITTEE

EASTERN AREA OF IRELAND

Contact the H&I Committee at: chair_hi@nairleast.org - Tel: 087-9482300

Click here for Security Clearance Information and forms

The Hospitals & Institutions sub-committee of the Eastern Area Service Committee of Ireland is a group of men and women, members of Narcotics Anonymous, who believe in the concept: TO ASSURE THAT NO ADDICT IN A HOSPITAL OR INSTITUTION SEEKING RECOVERY NEED DIE WITHOUT HAVING HAD A CHANCE TO FIND A BETTER WAY OF LIFE. This will insure that when an addict who is housed in a correctional facility, hospital or treatment centre reaches out for recovery, Narcotics Anonymous will be there. This concept is our primary concern. The purpose of an H&I sub-committee is to carry the NA message of recovery to addicts who do not have full access to regular Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

DETOX CENTERS

Cuan Dara Cherry Orchard has a meeting every night (7) this facility is mixed gender. There is also a balance of male & female secretaries.

Saint Michaels Ward Beaumont Hospital has three meetings a week Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. This is also mixed and is well attended.

TREATMENT CENTERS

Enfield Treatment Centre has two meetings a week, Wednesday and Saturday.

Sister Consillios Athy (Kildare) has one meeting a week which is held on Saturday afternoon. This meeting is always well attended.

Ashling House has one meeting a week which is held on Tuesday evening. This is an all female facility.

PRISONS

Mountjoy Prison N.C.R has one meeting a week which is held on Wednesday evening.

Saint Patrick's Institution N.C.R has one meeting a week which is held on Tuesday evening. The first H&I prison meeting was held in this facility in March 1982.

The Training Unit has three meetings a week Tuesday, Friday and Sunday (step meeting). Within this facility the inmates participate by doing service such as secretary, coffee maker.

Cloverhill Remand Centre Clondalkin has one meeting a week which is held on Monday evening.

Wheatfield Prison Clondalkin has one meeting a week which is held on Thursday evening.

If you are willing to do service within the Prisons you must have security clearance. To obtain this contact the H&I committee with your details. Before you take a service position with H&I think first - Will you have time to commit to a twelve week service commitment.

The ultimate purpose of the Eastern Area H&I sub-committee is to get the Narcotics Anonymous message of recovery to any addict whose attendance at regular N.A. meetings may be restricted.  The H&I sub-committee plays a central role in the overall service effort.  It initiates, co-ordinates, and conducts all H&I meetings and activities within the area. The sub-committee is the hub of H&I planning and organization.

The Eastern Area H&I committee is a sub-committee of the area service committee (ASC).  Its chair reports to and is accountable to the ASC.  The sub-committee is composed of a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary, elected representatives as well as any other members who wish to be involved.

Functions of the Sub-committee

  1. Communication and dispersing of all information, to and from all panels, will be through the panel coordinators.
  2. The elected representatives are to communicate with the facilities and panel leaders to conduct the H&I meeting and/or presentations
  3. To conduct monthly business meetings to provide a forum to pool our experiences: "I can't, we can"
  4. Coordinates the development of any new H&I meeting presentations.
  5. In cooperation with P.I. makes initial contact with facilities.
  6. Serves as a communication link between the local H&I meetings, presentations and the H&I sub-committee at the area, regional, and world levels.
  7. Prepares H&I policies and procedures for the H&I sub-committee.
  8. Elects members who are to conduct H&I meetings.
  9. Serves as a distribution point for literature for meetings. Reports those transactions to the ASC.

•  Will conduct workshops and orientations on relevant topics.

  1. Is responsible for all H&I oriented services within the Eastern Area.

Responsibilities of Area H&I Representatives

 

The responsibilities of the sub-committee representatives are shown below.   Representatives will do a lot more than this outline describes while staying within its guidelines.  The success of the sub-committee depends upon the dedication and leadership of its members.

Chairperson

  1. Requires five (5) years continuous clean time, plus a minimum of twelve (12) months involvement in H&I work.
  2. Keeps order at meetings, using area H&I policies and procedures.
  3. Prepares and follows agenda for each sub-committee meeting.
  4. Brings before sub-committee meeting matters that we should act upon.
  5. Maintains a link of communication between the H&I sub-committee and the ASC, including giving a written monthly report to the ASC.
  6. Keeps communication link with regional H&I sub-committee.
  7. Handles all public relations and initial contacts involving policy matters and/or interpretation at the public level, which pertains to H&I. This will be done with the direct cooperation of the P.I. sub-committee.
  8. Works with panel coordinator(s) to draft all correspondence to facilities served by the sub-committee.
  9. Is responsible for interchange of correspondence at the public level, as well as all correspondence within Narcotics Anonymous H&I, which involves policy matters.
  10. Coordinates all Narcotics Anonymous H&I activities.
  11. Makes regular (monthly) written reports to the H&I sub-committee on status of all current of completed projects.
  12. May at any time visit any meeting/presentation at any facility for a purpose beneficial to H&I, including offering assistance to panel participants.
  13. Presides, at all regular, special, and general sub-committee meetings.
  14. Reports a financial summary at every ASC.

Vice-Chairperson

  1. The H&I vice-chair is elected by the area H&I sub-committee, requirements are one (3) years clean time, a minimum of six months experience doing H&I work and a strong N.A. message of recovery. The vice-chair assumes the duties of the chairperson if the chairperson is unable to serve, or until a chair is elected.
  2. The vice-chair works with the chairperson to maintain the smooth operation of the sub-committee.
  3. Coordinates new panels until a panel coordinator is assigned.
  4. May at any time visit any meeting/presentation at any facility for any purpose beneficial to H&I, including offering assistance to panel participants.
  5. Attends the regular business meetings of the H&I sub-committee.

 

Literature

  1. Shall fill literature orders from panel coordinators.
  2. Shall keep a continuing record of literature distributed to panel coordinators.
  3. Shall make a report at the regular H&I sub-committee meetings on literature distributions
  4. Shall work with the chairperson to ensure that necessary literature is obtained from the ASC as per the H&I budget.
  5. Shall audit distribution records on an ongoing basis to ensure that requests for literature form panel coordinators are prudent and do not put the sub-committee over budget.

Speaker at a H&I Meeting

  1. Shall be at least six (6) months clean.
  2. Shall have knowledge of the twelve traditions of NA.
  3. Shall take an active role in a meeting as a speaker or in whatever other acceptable capacity as may be requested by the panel leader.
  4. Shall adhere to the rules of the facility wherein he/she is, in fact, a guest.
  5. Shall always keep in mind that he/she may be seen as a representative of Narcotics Anonymous and should conduct himself/herself responsibly.
  6. Shall carry a Narcotics Anonymous message of recovery.

General Information

  1. Any member of the H&I sub-committee 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 purpose of this H&I sub-committee shall be defined as complete abstinence from all drugs.
  2. Any member not conforming to these requirements or any other which may be added later, or who refuses to abide by the rules and regulations of the facility, shall automatically be relieved from any H&I sub-committee assignments.
  3. No Narcotics Anonymous meeting regularly conducted under the auspices of the H&I sub-committee shall be held in any facility except when directly supervised by the H&I sub-committee or its delegated leader. This appointment must be acceptable to the facility being served.
  4. Any N.A. member, who is involved with a given facility on a professional or volunteer basis, should not participate on the panel serving that facility. This is intended to avoid possible conflict and the resulting damage to:
    1. The inmate or patient inside, or
    2. The working ability and privilege of the sub-committee to carry the message inside the facility.
  5. For the same reason, no H&I member will interfere with or use influence in any facility, court, or hospital, nor with any judge, doctor, probation officer.  Further, H&I members will not make any comments or promises regarding employment, probation, or medical problems.  We carry only the message of Narcotics Anonymous: recovery from active addiction through our spiritual program.  Of course these members may participate on panels going to other facilities.

•  Length of clean time required by each facility is to be rigidly upheld by all H&I sub-committee.

 

  1. Excessive use of profanity or the use of vulgar stories while sharing is strictly prohibited by the authorities of the facilities and strongly discouraged by the H&I sub-committee.

 

  1. 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 facility being served.

 

  1. 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 sub-committee to all panel members so that they will be in full knowledge of their responsibilities in connection with their individual assignments.

•  You are reminded that they H&I sub-committee 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 the reading materials as well as through direct sharing (long term facilities).