Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens at a Bridge to Hope Meeting?
The newcomer is the most important person at the meeting. You will meet people who are caring and understanding, as most of us have been through the same situation that you are facing. You will learn that you are not alone.
The purpose of this group is to:
- Provide hope, information, and to share successes and hardships.
- Provide a safe place to express feelings openly in a non-judgmental environment.
- To learn from each other and to know that you are not alone.
The guidelines of our group:
- Everyone will have a chance to speak but will not be obligated to do so. We ask that you refrain from cross talking. We also ask that you try to be brief so that everyone has an opportunity to speak.
Please do not be offended if we find it necessary to interrupt you.
- Everyone agrees that any and all information disclosed in this group is private and totally confidential. What is said here stays here.
- Please feel free to get up and move around during the course of the meeting.
- We encourage you to exchange phone numbers and to call each other between meetings.
- This is your group! If any member has any suggestions or criticisms, they are encouraged to voice them to the facilitator.
What is the Role of the Facilitator?
The facilitator for this group is knowledgeable in the field of addiction, trauma response, general group structure and group development. The facilitator is skilled in universalizing the information disclosed in the group in order to teach and practice coping and problem-solving skills. The facilitator will recognize when an individual in the group needs more help than the group can provide and an appropriate referral to other resources will be made.
Facilitator Guidelines:
- Open the meeting promptly at 7:00 P.M.
- Begin with the Serenity Prayer, review the guidelines for the meeting, conduct around-the-table brief introductions and solicit any announcements.
- Call for any member to speak who may be “in crisis.”
- Turn the program over to the Lead (member volunteer who presents the subject to be discussed at the meeting) or guest speaker.
- Direct the meeting by intervening when discussion moves “off task” or when conversation is monopolized by any member, staying sensitive to the needs of the members and cognizant of the emotionally charged environment that is often present in the meetings (e.g., offer to take such a member aside with a few others for further discussion in a smaller group or offer to stay after the meeting to continue discussion).
- Be vigilant in differentiating between members’ “advice giving” and “experience sharing.” Our role is not to give advice, but to share experiences, both positive and negative, that contribute to the overall process of recovery. When conversation moves toward “advice giving,” help the member restate the point so that it becomes more “experience sharing.”
- Take the initiative to do some independent research on issues that come up in the meetings and report the results of such research at a subsequent meeting.
- Offer suggestions for meeting topics, guest speakers, web sites, and other resources that would be beneficial to our members.
- End the meeting with the Serenity Prayer, on time at 8:30 P.M.
Will My Participation be Confidential?
Members of the Bridge to Hope Support Group believe the anonymity of our members and the need for confidentiality is to be respected at all times.
The word, confidentiality, derives from the Latin meaning to keep faith with or to maintain “fidelity” with another person. In order for families to feel free to share some of the most sensitive and fragile aspects of their lives without fear of judgment, they need to trust that members of the group will protect their information. Only in this climate of safety can participants begin to unearth or admit the impact of addiction on their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
Questions? or Interested in Attending a Bridge to Hope Meeting
Email: B2H@upmc.edu or call 412-748-5120