Hospitals & Institutions
Members of the Hospitals and Institutions Subcommittee carry NA’s message of recovery to addicts whose attendance at regular meetings is restricted. Since addicts who are incarcerated, hospitalized or in some other institution can’t come to us, we take meetings to them. Therefore, this effort depends on a strong and stable H&I Subcommittee. Support from the local NA community nurtures this effort.
The H&I Subcommittee initiates, coordinates and conducts NA meetings presented to the hospitals and institutions within the Tampa Funcoast Area. So this subcommittee forms the hub of H&I planning and organization.
The Hospitals and Institutions Subcommittee
After many years of experience with various types of H&I meetings and presentations, Narcotics Anonymous finds the panel system to be the most effective. An H&I meeting sponsored or conducted by an NA home group does not allow the H&I Subcommittee enough influence over that meeting. As a result, this approach defeats the subcommittee system our fellowship utilizes. Furthermore, we lose the benefit of the full-time consideration of H&I matters which the subcommittee provides. Finally, this leads to problems in communication and consistency.
If the terms panel system and panel format confuse you, let us explain:
- The panel system refers to the general approach of structuring the H&I effort. So, this system uses presentations by a panel of H&I subcommittee members.
- The panel format refers to the specific way in which a given panel structures its presentation.
A Subcommittee using the panel system employs a panel coordinator. This person oversees several different H&I commitments. Such an arrangement assures consistent communications between the facility and the H&I Subcommittee. Also, each H&I meeting employs a panel leader or panel chairperson. This person arranges the necessary elements to present the meeting. Panel members attend the meeting and share their recovery. The panel system uses a variety of formats.
If you need more information about Hospitals and Institutions service work, consult the Tampa Funcoast ASC Policy.
Also, for a detailed look at H&I, refer to the Hospitals & Institutions Handbook, published by NA World Services.
