Phone line
Training
By Wendy H, Dan M and Troy J
Preparing volunteers
Leadership
qualities such as
integrity, the ability to listen,
and sound judgment are
essential in providing phone
line service.
Preparing volunteers
Responsiveness
is a key principle
for phone line service. This means
that trusted servants should
engage with callers in a sensitive,
appropriate, and helpful manner.
Preparing volunteers
Do not make commitments on behalf of the
area, region, or NA fellowship. If a
professional or member of the public
contacts an NA phone line, volunteers should
provide as much information about NA as
they can, then contact appropriate trusted
servant to connect with professional.
Preparing volunteers
Avoid using NA jargon (such as “it
works when you work it”, home
group” get a sponsor”, etc.
Who calls the phone line?
 Addicts
 Non-addicts
 Family
members
 Professionals
 Clergy
 Telemarketers
What type of phone calls







Requests for meeting information
Requests for general information about NA
Requests for public relations efforts (H&I, PI
presentations)
Crisis calls
12 step calls
Difficult calls from addicts
Telemarketers
Requests for meeting information
 Give
up-to-date, accurate meeting location
and times of the nearest meeting to the
caller as possible.
Requests for information about NA
 Meeting
times, locations of nearest
meetings
 Service
 Open
structure
or closed groups
 Handicap
 Policy
accessibility
Crisis Calls
 Volunteers
should be very clear about where
their responsibility ends.
 Phone line volunteers are not counselors or
crisis workers.
 Threats to commit suicide, a drug overdose, or
talk about being a victim of violence
 Refusing to refer such callers to qualified
outside crisis agencies could have legal
implications, depending on the local law.
Meeting recommendations
 Volunteers
can respect callers’ request
and recommend a meeting where they
are likely to find addicts with whom
they may identify.
12 step calls

A 12 step call is usually a request for assistance to get to a
meeting. We carry NA’s message through 12 step calls.

A 12 step call can mean that 2 or more addicts provide a
ride to an NA meeting or that volunteers simply talk with
the caller, helping the potential member get to a meeting
on their own.

When possible, members meet those requesting a ride to
a meeting in a public place.
Difficult calls
Under
the influence
Prank
calls
Those
who suffer from mental illness
Referrals
 We
do not give referrals to one specific
treatment center or detox unit.
 We
can give a list of any and all local
treatment centers and not align or affiliate
ourselves with one in particular, or we can
inform members of generic treatment referral
numbers, such as the national treatment
referral line in the United States.
Preparing volunteers
Phone
line volunteers often have
to perform in higher pressure
situations, and they are likely to
be the firsts contact that people
have with NA.
Do’s
Do
encourage addict to
attend meetings
Do’s
Do
answer all calls if
possible.
Do’s
Do
give them the
next available
meeting
Do’s
Do
take their number
for a follow up call
Do’s
Make
sure if you are a male; and a
female calls, you refer them to a
female.
Make sure if you are a female; and
a male calls, you refer them to a
male.
Do’s
Do
remember they are
hurting and how much
courage it takes to
make this call.
Do’s
Do
use NA language.
Clean
Recovery
Just for today
Don’ts
Do
not make a
commitment for NA
as a whole.
Don’ts
Do
not use the phone line
to send or receive
personal phone calls.
Don’ts
Do
not return phone calls
unless they leave a voice
mail and they say to call
them back.
Don’ts
Do
not give out
personal phone
numbers of another
member.
Don’ts
 Do
not give out specific information
that does not pertain to Narcotics
Anonymous.
Treatment centers
Detox centers
Half-way houses
Don’ts
Do
not talk on the phone
longer than 15 minutes.
Don’ts
Do
not hesitate to hang up and
call 911 if they are threatening
to harm themselves or others.
 Make sure if you get a phone
call like this, you get the
address of where they are, so
you can relay that to 911.
What information should be given
Meeting
locations of the
nearest meeting available to
them
Time that meeting starts
Questions?
Please
feel free to ask any
and all questions to someone
who has attended phone line
training
.