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Many Narcotics Anonymous members have found Hospitals and Institutions (H&I) service to be an important part of their personal recovery. Our members, who actively participate in H&I service, are very important resources in our fellowship. A
commitment to H&I service is one of the many ways to become
involved with the NA service structure and help us feel a part of
our fellowship.
We know that active addiction leads to jails, institutions, and death.
Also, NA's primary purpose is to carry the message of
recovery to the addict who still su!ers. It is not surprising that
carrying the NA message of recovery into hospitals and
institutions is one of our priorities. NA members have
consistently supported this belief by forming Hospitals and
Institutions (H&I) committees around the world.

Still, some NA members have been reluctant to become
involved in H&I service because they have never been
incarcerated, arrested, or institutionalized. With our personal
experience and proper preparation, all of us are uniquely
qualified to carry our message of recovery.

What is an H&I Presentation?

The purpose of an H&I presentation is to carry the message of
recovery to addicts who do not have full access to regular
Narcotics Anonymous meetings. H&I meetings, except for those
in long-term facilities, are intended to introduce those addicts in
attendance to the basics of the NA program.
In order to form a clear understanding of an H&I meeting, it is
important to learn about our service structure. An H&I meeting
is generally a service provided by an area service committee's

Hospitals & Institutions
Subcommittee

H&I subcommittee. These meetings occur in hospitals,
treatment centers, correctional facilities, and adolescent
institutions. Rather than being an NA group, it is vital that an
H&I meeting always be held under the direction of an H&I
subcommittee.
Service Positions
The H&I Committee is comprised of the following positions:
Chairperson
Vice-Chairperson
Secretary
Secretary Assistant
Literature Distribution
Literature Distribution Assistant
Orientation Person
Orientation Assistant
H&I Presentation Chairpersons
For more information on this committee's service positions and
responsibilities, please see our ASC Policy Manual
(/resource/area-policy).
Why Should I Get Involved?
An area H&I subcommittee is the center for planning and
organization. This is the ideal place to start getting involved! The
first thing to do is to show up at an area H&I subcommittee
meeting and attend an orientation for new and interested
members. These orientation meetings help members become
familiar with the information and clean time requirements
necessary for service in H&I. At these meetings, members are
selected to carry our message into facilities. Usually, the next
step is to attend an H&I meeting as an observer. Through this
process members gain a basic understanding of H&I service and
decide on a level of involvement.
Hospitals and institutions service o!ers addicts an opportunity
to demonstrate gratitude, fulfill responsibility, and share the NA
message without expectations. It is also an e!ective tool that
helps us stay clean, and keeps us coming back. The H&I message
is the same as the NA message: "That an addict, any
addict, can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use, and find a
new way to live."
The gift we share is hope and freedom from active addiction
through the program of Narcotics Anonymous. Any NA member
who wants to carry this message is encouraged to get involved
with H&I service. There are many ways to serve in Narcotics
Anonymous, and many of us have found H&I service to be the
most rewarding aspect of our recovery.

How Do I Get Involved?
To take an H&I commitment, you are required to have six (6)
months clean-time, and have paneled (that is, attended with
another H&I meeting chairperson) three (3) H&I meetings.
Finally, you will need to attend Orientation which is held one
hour prior to our normally scheduled committee meeting.
Please check the Service Committee Meetings (/service) page for
meeting times and locations.
For more information, please contact the H&I Subcommittee
Chairperson by email at: hi [at] goldcoastna.org
(hi [at] goldcoastna.org (mailto:))
 

Gold Coast Inmate Step Writing
Guide Subcommittee
What Is The Purpose For The “Inmate Step Writing Guide”
Program?
The primary purpose of this committee it to provide written Narcotics Anonymous
12 step guidance to any incarcerated addict desiring recovery within Narcotics
Anonymous.
We support the incarcerated addict by working the 12 steps of Narcotics
Anonymous with them through the mail. This is the closest thing to written
sponsorship we can offer within our guidelines and traditions, until the
incarcerated addict is able to go to regular open meetings and find a regular
sponsor.
"We Can Only Keep What We Have by Giving it Away”
How Does The Subcommittee Function?
The Inmate Step Writing Guide program is managed through mail only, and no
personal information is shared. It is completely anonymous.
Guides can write letters from their own homes, on their own time. All
correspondence is via the Gold Coast ISWG PO Box. The perfect service
commitment for the independently minded.
Guides do not use personal names, addresses, or phone numbers. Step Guides use
pen names for all correspondences.
We partner with the Florida Department of Corrections, which has 143 facilities
statewide, as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which has 8 Federal
Institutions in the State of Florida.
Presentations to facilities will include the ISWG statement of dedication and
purpose, as well as these guidelines for function. ISWG will be offered to
addicts at institutions only after the institution has received a presentation and
has confirmed this in writing.
Carrying the message of hope “Behind the Walls”

Positions
The Inmate Step Writing Guide Committee is comprised of the following positions:
• Chairperson
• Vice-Chairperson
• Secretary
• Secretary Assistant
• Orientation Chair
• Orientation Assistant
For more information on this committee's service positions and responsibilities,
please see our ASC Policy Manual.

How Do I Get Involved?
• To become a Guide, you are required to have a minimum of two years clean
time.
• Have a working knowledge of the 12 Steps and Traditions.
• Must have worked up through the 5th Step.
• Understand and agree to the ISWG guidelines.
• Willingness and availability to reply to letters in 2 weeks or less.
• All Guides agree to have no prior knowledge or relationship with their assigned
inmate and to respect the confidentiality of their assigned inmate.
• All rules and regulations of the FDOC will strictly upheld. We are guests in their
facilities.
• Must attend orientation once, which is held 30 minutes prior to our normally
scheduled subcommittee meeting.

Is Becoming A Step Writing Guide For You?
Incarcerated addicts rely on us to be a consistent point of contact while working
the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous. Are you ready and able to make this
commitment?

Carefully consider the qualifications and responsibility before making your
decision. Discuss with your sponsor and other members involved in this important
and lifesaving program.
For more information, please contact the ISWG Subcommittee Secretary by email at:

iswg [at] goldcoastna.org

Frequency: 
First Monday of each month at 7pm
Location: