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CPC Committee Minutes – August 2026

OIAA Cooperation with the Professional Community (CPC)
Committee Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2026

 

Member Attendees:

Leila B. – Chair
Pato – Alternate Chair
Susan R. – OIAA Board Chair
Jan B. OIAA Alternate Chair
Ellen
Mauricio
Sharon
Terry
Interpreter

Call to Order

The meeting was held at approximately 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom. Leila chaired the meeting. Live interpretation was available for Spanish-speaking participants.
Leila noted that Andresa and Naterena were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts. Participants were welcomed, including Terry, who was attending as a new member.

The group briefly worked through interpretation settings to ensure participants could hear translated audio and access appropriate language support during the meeting. However, translated captions did not work consistently and later displayed inaccurate words.

The group reviewed CPC’s purpose: to inform professionals and future professionals about what AA is, where it is, what it can and cannot do, improve communication between AA members and professionals, and identify simple, effective ways to cooperate without affiliating. She suggested that the committee may later refine this wording to emphasize building relationships with professionals so they can help more people find AA.


Announcements

July Service Expo: Leila shared an update regarding the July Service Expo and acknowledged CPC members who participated. Although only a few attendees visited the CPC breakout room, those who did expressed positive interest in the committee’s work, and some requested information about attending a future committee meeting.

Google Workspace onboarding: Mauricio and Pato have been onboarded into the committee’s Google Workspace and are able to begin becoming more involved with responding to CPC inquiries. Leila and Andresa also plan to meet for one-on-one onboarding. Leila noted that having additional members monitor inquiries allows the committee to respond more quickly and suggested that inquiry coverage might eventually be divided by day of the week.

Secretary service position: Naterena will complete her one-year term as CPC Secretary in October. The Secretary position will therefore become available. Responsibilities include preparing and distributing meeting minutes, maintaining the committee contact list and Google Drive, arranging updates to the committee’s OIAA webpage, and sending meeting reminders and other pertinent information. Members interested in the service opportunity, or who know someone who may be interested, were encouraged to speak with Leila. The position requires at least one year of sobriety.

Spanish translation support: Volunteers continue to be needed to assist with translating CPC response templates and other committee resources into Spanish. Mauricio offered to assist with the English-Spanish template work.

Committee resources: Leila reminded members that each meeting agenda includes links to the committee charter, CPC Kit, Twelve Concepts for World Service, Twelve Traditions, pamphlets, videos for specific professional audiences, and other resources members may use in their CPC work.

Google Drive reorganization: Leila displayed the reorganized committee Drive, which now is organized into incoming and proactive outreach templates, landing-page resources, CPC guidance, literature for professionals, panel resources, onboarding processes and procedures, administrative records, budgets, recordings, and archived materials. Resources were gathered from Mary, AAWS, the PI/CPC Working Group, and Area 10 CPC. Leila noted that she realized too late that managing the Drive is a Secretary responsibility and that she should have consulted Naterena before reorganizing it.

Review of outside resources: Sharon cautioned that some PI/CPC Working Group materials rely on non-AA studies or resources. Because the committee functions as an AA service entity, members should use information and literature provided by AA and carefully review anything obtained from outside sources. Leila confirmed that she had not added the non-AA materials to the Drive for the same reason.

CPC purpose clarification: Ellen asked whether the committee provides or helps AA groups locate professional services. Leila clarified that CPC does not provide professional assistance. Its purpose is to help professionals understand AA so they can inform or refer patients, clients, students, and others who may need AA. Ellen said the explanation clarified the committee’s role.

Service Updates

  • Pato shared his experience working with universities, psychiatric clinics, and other professional communities in Chile. He discussed existing relationships that may provide opportunities for CPC outreach and future presentations. AA members shared what AA is and their experience while observing the Traditions; professionals and trainees attended online AA meetings to learn how AA works, and the clinic referred some patients to AA. He also described an addictions-related university program, research by a psychiatric professional and anthropologist, anonymous member accounts used as educational material, contacts in Mexico and the United States, and work with an NGO researching alcohol and drug use. Pato later cautioned that some clinics have sought affiliation with AA, which AA cannot provide, while other organizations have understood and respected the non-affiliation boundary.
  • Mauricio shared his professional experience within the pharmaceutical industry in Colombia and his connections with psychiatrists, neurologists, professional associations, treatment centers, and other healthcare professionals. Approximately ten years earlier, disclosing his AA membership to a leading addictions psychiatrist opened the door to a major Bogotá clinic. Mauricio later worked with Bogotá Intergroup, chaired its CPC Committee, and expanded outreach to universities, clinics, hospitals, and treatment centers. He also described arranging for psychiatrists to speak about relevant issues on radio and television and identified corrections as a possible future outreach opportunity.
  • Sharon shared her CPC experience working with healthcare professionals, corrections, professional groups, personnel, bail bondsmen, pharmacy and behavioral technicians, nursing students, discharge planners, and international audiences. She recommended providing professionals with only a few carefully selected pieces of AA literature rather than overwhelming them. She also emphasized training committee members to speak at non-AA meetings, explain that they are AA volunteers rather than paid professionals, and maintain appropriate boundaries under the Traditions.
  • Susan described previous CPC outreach through health fairs, small literature packages for physicians, schools and universities, guidance offices, literature racks maintained by AA groups, churches, and libraries. She noted that much of this work had occurred in person and expressed interest in adapting those approaches to an online environment.
  • Jan described the difficulty of gaining healthcare referrals within England’s National Health Service and noted that her local intergroup speaks annually with medical students. She identified the rapid growth of online psychology services as a promising outreach opportunity because OIAA can offer access to extensive online meetings around the clock. Jan also noted that she serves in OIAA Public Information and will forward professional inquiries received by PI to CPC.

Terry explained that she wants to connect the worldwide membership of her Austin-based online group with local CPC work and other OIAA service opportunities. She also expressed interest in healthcare, employer, and school outreach and provided her email address to receive future committee communications.


New Business:

Professional Outreach Strategy: Leila proposed beginning with one or two manageable initiatives that could be launched within the next month using existing contacts and resources, without requiring a new budget, and with clear responsibilities and expected outcomes. The discussion favored healthcare professionals as the committee’s initial focus while recognizing that many other professions may benefit from information about AA.

The committee discussed ways to strengthen outreach to healthcare professionals and other professional communities. Mauricio described a clinic relationship that ended after the committee’s only institutional contact left, demonstrating the importance of maintaining relationships with more than one person within an organization, and members emphasized that successful CPC outreach depends on relationship building rather than simply distributing information. The group discussed identifying specific professionals and organizations that regularly interact with individuals who may benefit from learning about AA. The committee also discussed which healthcare professionals may be most appropriate to target. While physicians were considered, members noted that nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists, psychiatrists, physician assistants, treatment professionals, discharge planners, medical and nursing students, online therapists, professional associations, treatment programs, schools, health fairs, virtual expos, businesses seeking speakers, employer human-resources departments, and peer-counseling programs who have regular interaction with patients may also be important audiences. Sharon reminded the committee to carefully review resources before using or distributing them and to prioritize AA-approved CPC resources rather than relying on outside materials that may not reflect AA guidance. Members also emphasized cooperation without affiliation.

Professional referral information: Leila and Mauricio recalled a statement made at the Service Expo that professional referrals to AA had declined from approximately one-third to 8 percent. Sharon cautioned that AA does not have complete data and that its membership surveys use samples; therefore, the figures should not be presented as firm numbers without supporting documentation.

Professional Contact Database: The committee discussed developing a database of professional contacts that could support future CPC outreach. Potential contacts may include:

  • Psychologists and online mental health professionals
  • Psychiatrists
  • Nurses and nurse practitioners
  • Physician assistants
  • Addiction and treatment professionals
  • University and clinical programs
  • Physicians and addiction specialists
  • Hospital discharge planners
  • Online therapy companies and online psychologists or therapists
  • Medical and nursing students and educational programs
  • Nursing, nurse practitioner, and other professional associations
  • Other healthcare professionals and organizations

Susan proposed building the contact database as the committee’s initial “low-hanging fruit” before conducting broader outreach or hosting a workshop. Pato agreed to begin compiling his existing professional contacts and communicating with them to determine their interest in a future CPC workshop. Leila will also reach out to healthcare professionals within her personal network, and Terry agreed to speak with her physician assistant about the concept. Jan identified a major online psychology company in England as a possible outreach opportunity.


Healthcare Professionals Workshop:

Mauricio proposed organizing an online workshop for healthcare professionals, initially suggesting September or October. He recommended involving a U.S.-based professional who works with addiction or alcoholism, believing that this could help attract professionals from Colombia, Chile, Mexico, the United States, and other locations.

Leila initially asked whether the workshop could be held in early November. Susan noted the International Convention and IGR Forum scheduling, the likelihood of reduced attendance in December, and the need to confirm that the OIAA Tech Committee could support the workshop. She recommended targeting January so the committee would have time to build its contact database, develop its outreach approach and workshop content, and coordinate technical support.

Pato supported January, noting that although January is summer in Chile, previous summer activities had received good attendance from professionals. Participants present supported targeting January 2027. The discussion favored inviting a broad range of healthcare professionals rather than limiting the workshop to physicians. Contact development and initial outreach will occur in parallel with workshop planning rather than waiting for the database to be completed.

Leila proposed dedicating approximately 20 minutes at a future meeting for Sharon or another experienced member to provide more detailed guidance about speaking with professionals, together with a review of relevant AA-provided resources.

Committee Agreements and Follow-Up Items

  • The committee will make healthcare professional outreach a primary upcoming initiative.
  • Members will begin developing a database of healthcare professionals and organizations that may be interested in CPC information or presentations.
  • Pato will compile his professional contacts, share the list at the next meeting, and begin contacting them to assess interest, availability, scheduling needs, and effective messaging.
  • The committee will work toward holding a healthcare professionals workshop in January 2027.
  • Outreach will include a broad range of healthcare professionals rather than focusing exclusively on physicians.
  • Committee members should use AA-provided information and literature and carefully review outside materials before incorporating them into CPC work.
  • Additional volunteers are needed to assist with Spanish translation of CPC templates and resources.
  • Following the meeting, Susan agreed to review the OIAA bylaws and guidelines and consult with the Board regarding a possible co-chair structure, Board approval, voting, and any conflict with IGR service.
  • Initial outreach should use existing contacts and resources, require no new budget, and be manageable enough to begin within the following month.
  • Outreach relationships should be maintained over time and, whenever possible, with more than one contact within an organization.
  • The committee will cooperate with professional organizations without affiliating with them.
  • Mauricio will assist with English-Spanish templates and resources.
  • The committee will begin budget planning the following month and will coordinate with the Tech Committee before finalizing the workshop schedule.

 

Discussion and Motion Summary

Discussion: The meeting included review of CPC’s purpose and resources, Google Workspace onboarding and Drive organization, committee service and translation needs, professional outreach experience and safeguards, development of a professional contact database, and planning for a healthcare professionals workshop. Following the meeting, Susan and Leila also discussed governance questions related to a possible co-chair structure.

Motion: No formal motions were made or voted on during the meeting.

Post-Meeting Leadership Follow-Up: After the general meeting closed and Pato had left, Susan and Leila discussed the possibility of Pato serving as a co-chair rather than Alternate Chair. Susan said she would review the OIAA bylaws and guidelines and consult with the Board to determine whether co-chairs are permitted, whether Board approval would be required, how the committee’s single vote would be handled, and whether serving as co-chair would conflict with service as an IGR. No decision was made. Leila explained that because the Alternate Chair position is designated for a Spanish-speaking member, she was concerned that retaining only an alternate title could unintentionally create two classes of leadership as the committee becomes more international.

Next Steps / Action Items

Leila (Chair)

  • Reach out to healthcare professionals within her personal network regarding potential CPC outreach.
  • Continue inviting members to consider the upcoming Secretary service position.
  • Continue seeking volunteers to assist with Spanish translation of CPC templates and resources.
  • Complete Andresa’s one-on-one Google Workspace onboarding.
  • Begin committee budget discussions the following month.
  • Ensure Terry receives future committee communications.

Pato (Alternate Chair)

  • Compile a list of existing professional contacts.
  • Begin reaching out to contacts to assess interest and availability for a future healthcare professionals workshop.

Mauricio

  • Assist with English-Spanish templates and other translation work.

Susan (OIAA Board Chair)

  • Review OIAA governance documents and consult with the Board regarding whether a co-chair structure is permitted, whether Board approval would be required, how voting would work, and whether the role would conflict with IGR service.

Terry

  • Speak with her physician assistant about the possibility of a CPC workshop or other outreach for healthcare professionals.

Committee

  • Develop a database of healthcare professionals and organizations for future CPC outreach.
  • Continue planning a healthcare professionals workshop targeted for January 2027.
  • Coordinate with the OIAA Tech Committee before finalizing the workshop date and technical requirements.
  • Begin budget planning at the following month’s meeting.


Closing

The meeting closed with the Responsibility Statement. Participants agreed to continue developing relationships with healthcare professionals, build a professional contact database, and prepare for a January 2027 healthcare professionals workshop.

The committee will continue identifying practical outreach opportunities that can strengthen communication between AA and professionals while remaining consistent with CPC service principles and AA traditions.

 

Prepared by: Naterena P-C, Secretary, CPC Committee

Next Meeting: The next CPC Committee meeting will be held on the first Sunday of the month, September 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom.


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