What is the Bay Area Helpline?

The BASCNA Helpline is an informational telephone service staffed by volunteer addicts from the Bay Area Narcotics Anonymous community. It is a 24-hour/ 365-day service, which means no matter what time of the day or night someone calls for help, a recovering addict is there to listen and provide meeting referral service and fellowship to those in need.

How Does it work?

The BASCNA Helpline is staffed by recovering addicts who volunteer to answer the phone in 4-hour shifts. Each shift is covered by three recovering addicts. This is to ensure that, to the best of our ability, a live person answers the hotline 24/7/365 to help our fellow addicts.

Each shift is assigned a primary volunteer, a secondary volunteer and a third volunteer. Calls are forwarded to the cell phone of each addict in sequence, until someone answers. Our phone system will ultimately take a message and alert sub-committee leaders if a call ultimately goes to voicemail. The third volunteer will also attempt to call the person back as soon as they see they have missed a call.

What Kind of Calls Do We Get?

Most calls to the Helpline are visitors to our area looking for meeting information or people who are just out of treatment centers or jail wanting to find a meeting. Sometimes they will request rides to meetings, but this is not a service we provide. You’ll learn more about the services we provide in your orientation should you join us.

How Can I Join?

We need your help to continue our service to the NA community! The requirements for membership are as follows:

  1. A working cell phone
  2. Six months clean time
  3. Attend 2 consecutive subcommittee meetings

At your second sub-committee meeting (in a row) you will receive an orientation packet and training provided by the shift coordinator. You will also be assigned a shift or multiple shifts if your schedule allows.

When and Where Does the Helpline Subcommittee Meet?

The BASCNA Helpline Subcommittee meets at 9am on the first Sunday of each month on Zoom.
Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5890101841?pwd=YVNMVExHWldhNnpodDhueStuVWVxdz09
Zoom ID: 589 010 1841 | Password: bascna

Point of Contact

Call the Narcotics Anonymous Helpline at 888-779-7117.

Additional Helpline Resources – Phone Line Basics | Phone Line Resources