What is Bridging the Gap?
Bridging the Gap is a temporary contact program designed to assist the newcomer in making the transition from a treatment, detox, or correctional facility to Alcoholics Anonymous.
People are often introduced to AA while they are in a hospital, treatment or correctional facility. When they return to their own community, it can be very difficult for them to reach out to AA for help in getting started in our program of recovery.
The purpose of Bridging the Gap is to offer the newcomer a temporary contact once they leave the facility. This contact person can assist them until they are comfortable attending meetings on their own.
How Does It Work?
Before a person leaves the facility, the client or their counsellor contacts the appropriate Bridging the Gap committee, who locates a temporary contact in their home community. The temporary contact gets in touch with the person leaving the facility and sets up a time and place to meet after they are discharged from the facility. The AA contact then offers to take the newcomer to a few meetings and introduces them to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. This vital 12th Step work can help to alleviate their fear in attending meetings alone.
In Las Vegas, we have a Bridging the Gap contacts through the Hospitals & Institutions Committee that coordinates the Bridging the Gap activities through the AA Central Office.
The forms for clients and for members to participate in the Bridging the Gap program can be found at the bottom of this page.
For more information you can:
Contact Us or call the Central Office at
I came, I saw, I got Sober.
