Referring to Alcoholics Anonymous

Assertive referral practices can improve AA meeting attendance and involvement, and is associated with better long-term outcomes. Referral can occur at any stage of treatment. Ideally, services should engage clinicians or peer workers by: 

• providing meeting schedules and public transport timetables 
• organising AA volunteers to accompany the patient to meetings 
• using a ‘meeting journal’ (signed off by the AA meeting convener) to record attendance and reactions to the meeting 
• organising a temporary sponsor.