Hospitals & Institutions

Purpose of a Hospitals and Institutions Committee

The sole purpose of a Hospitals and Institutions (H&I) Committee is to carry the message of Cocaine Anonymous to those in Hospitals and Institutions. Institutions served may include, but are not limited to: correctional facilities, sanitariums, detoxification units, juvenile detention centers, half-way houses, and shelters; either governmental or private. Confinement may be voluntary or involuntary.

The Committee is organized under the Ninth Tradition of Cocaine Anonymous, which states: “C.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.” C.A. H&I meetings are held at the invitation of the Hospital or Institution, ever mindful of the admonition “Cooperation, not Affiliation!”

What are Hospitals and Institutional Meetings?

There is a distinct difference between H&I meetings and regular C.A. Meetings.
H&I meetings are often restricted to patients or residents only, and not open to the community as a whole. These meetings are brought into facilities by local C.A. members through the H&I Committee. H&I Meetings are basically beginners meetings; with the chairperson of each meeting providing the speakers. They are not usually listed in the area or world directory; and they do not observe the 7th Tradition. Certain facilities may require H&I participants to be subject to sobriety requirements, dress and conduct codes.

I am interested in getting involved…

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