As
promised we have initiated a campaign with the aim of establishing contacts
with ALL the main referring agencies (national and local) to
AA based in Great Britain. In order to facilitate this process we've
acquired a number of data bases and estimate the project should be
completed within two years.
Our
objectives:
promote
AA as a recovery method based on life long
abstention from alcohol in any form and any quantity “one day at a
time” suitable for some alcoholics (or alcohol
addicts);
highlight
some of the pitfalls newcomers may encounter when joining the
fellowship eg. sexual predation, bullying (institutionalised in the
case of the cult), prescribed medication issues, religious
fundamentalism and dogma versus spiritual practice etc and suggest
some strategies they might employ to avoid them;
encourage
referring agencies to subject the AA service structure (General
Service Board, General Service Office, regions, intergroups etc) to a
more detailed and searching scrutiny than may have been the case
previously pointing out in particular the absence of a coherent,
consistent and effective complaints procedure (attributable in part
to a widespread misinterpretation - and misapplication - of AA's
traditions specifically Tradition Four);
draw
attention to the risk of potential litigation (and other
actions) arising out of breaches of the professional duty of care
owed by such agencies to their clients when referring them to AA (eg.
prescribed medication issues).
Hopefully
the above will encourage more sufferers to contact AA whilst ensuring
they enjoy a relatively 'hassle' free recovery, and, as importantly,
prompt the fellowship to take more seriously the abuses outlined
above and take decisive action to remedy these deficiencies.
Cheers
The Fellas
(Friends of Alcoholics Anonymous)
