For Professionals - Area 83 Alcoholics Anonymous

A Resource for Professionals

Professionals who work with alcoholics share a common purpose with Alcoholics Anonymous: to help the alcoholic stop drinking and lead a healthy, productive life.

A.A. in Eastern Ontario Wants to Work with You

Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC) is an objective of A.A., and has been since our beginnings. We are always seeking to strengthen and expand our communication with you. This helps us to work more effectively with you in achieving our common purpose: to help the alcoholic who still suffers. We are dedicated to helping professionals who work with alcoholics.

About A.A.

For Professionals…

A.A.’s primary purpose, as stated in our Preamble, is: “to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”

Alcoholics Anonymous is a nonprofit, self-supporting, entirely independent fellowship — “not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution.” Yet A.A. is in a position to serve as a resource to you through its policy of “cooperation but not affiliation” with the professional community.

We can serve as a source of personal experience with alcoholism as an ongoing support system for recovering alcoholics.

Reprinted from (If You are A Professional…, page 3), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

What is A.A.?

Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.

The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions.
A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes.
Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

More About A.A.

People from all walks of life come together to solve their drinking problem.

Nonprofessional;
“AA is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem.”

Professionals, those that work with the recovery community, commonly refer to AA as a peer mentoring group, support recovery organization, or a mutual aid society. Ongoing support is an essential part of recovery from alcoholism.

Alcoholics Anonymous World Service, Inc. is a nonprofit organization.
Starting in the late 1930s, AA is operated and maintained by the voluntary contributions of its members as are the individual AA Groups.

Cooperation without affiliation

AA does not affiliate with other entities or organizations.
AA will cooperate with anyone to help the still suffering alcoholic. Members of AA outreach committees are trained to bring presentations to any group or professional organization in our efforts to better help the still-suffering alcoholic.

AA is in over 180 countries. The book Alcoholics Anonymous, the basic text of AA, has been translated into over 70 languages. There are over 1000 AA meetings a week in Eastern Ontario. Virtual meetings are available around the world. There are AA meetings starting every hour.

There are over 300 other organizations that use the AA Program of Recovery, the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of AA, for other problems and addictions. Each Twelve Step Group or organization keeps to a singleness of purpose. AA members share their experience with recovery from alcoholism so that newcomers can identify to get the help they need.

A.A. Membership Statistics

How members arrived at Alcoholics Anonymous…

Statistics important for professionals who work with alcoholics.

Source: 2022 Membership Survey by Alcoholics Anonymous. Reprinted with Permission.

Interested in an A.A. Presentation?

Invite A.A. in Eastern Ontario to give a free presentation or to give a talk about A.A. before your public or professional group, or organization. We are freely available to convey to those who want to know, what A.A. is, where A.A. can be found, what A.A. can do to help the still suffering alcoholic.

C.P.C. Committee Members are available to speak in person or via an online video platform, at schools, local businesses, parole/probation offices, DUI classes, health fairs, art festivals, churches, civic groups, community centers, medical centers, treatment facilities and anywhere the A.A. message can be useful. We also distribute A.A. literature, point to our free Meeting Guide app and to the A.A. main website, as well as this Eastern Ontario A.A. website.

We want to provide accurate information on Alcoholics Anonymous to professionals who work with alcoholics. Have A.A. members speak to your group can accomplish this goal. Learn more about Alcoholism and Alcoholics.

A.A. Meetings

The purpose of all A.A. group meetings, as the Preamble states, is for A.A. members to “share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism.” Toward this end, A.A. groups have both open and closed meetings.

Closed meetings are for A.A. members only, or for those who have a drinking problem and “have a desire to stop drinking.”

Open meetings are available to anyone interested in Alcoholics Anonymous’ program of recovery from alcoholism. Non-alcoholics may attend open meetings as observers.

At both types of meetings, the A.A. chairperson may request that participants confine their discussion to matters pertaining to recovery from alcoholism.

Whether open or closed, A.A. group meetings are conducted by A.A. members who determine the format of their meetings.

Reprinted from (The A.A. Group, page 13), with permission of A.A. World Services, Inc.

Learn more about types of AA meetings: Open Meetings | Closed Meetings

A.A. Resources for the Professional

Resources from A.A. World Service Office