San Fernando Valley Cocaine Anonymous

General Behavior Guidelines

Hospitals and Institutions Meetings

1. Avoid prolonged Drug-a-Logs.
2. Do not criticize or make derogatory remarks about the facility, its personnel, or any of its policies and practices. This includes opinions about pills, anti-depressants, tranquilizers, and antabuse which are used by many facilities.
3. Never give medical or legal advice or recommend other facilities to patients.
4. Do not talk down to the group.
5. Do not use profanity; you may be stopped by the meeting chairperson if you do.
6. Do not bring visitors - people from outside the fellowship of Cocaine Anonymous, or C.A. members not on the panel at the facility.
7. Do not bring anything in or take anything out. This includes written or verbal messages for an inmate or patient.
8. We do not recommend that you exchange phone numbers or addresses with people at a correctional facility, promise to write them, or agree to meet them when they leave. In most correctional facilities this is a major violation of their policy. Under no circumstances may you or any member of the panel violate the facility’s policy on this matter. You may refer them to the C.A. meeting directory and indicate meetings that you regularly attend.
9. Do not promise inmates or patients jobs or aid of any kind.
10. Dress appropriately. Remember that you are representing C.A.
11. Do make sure that you are properly cleared to attend a correctional institution meeting. If you have outstanding warrants, or are on parole or probation, they may keep you.
12. Show up. Having a meeting “go dark” is worse than not having a meeting there at all. There is nothing that makes C.A. look as bad as nobody showing up to do a meeting. We have been invited to hold these panel meetings by the facilities - it is a privilege. C.A. as a whole looks bad when no one shows up.