Suffolk Intergroup
Association of
Alcoholics Anonymous

SIA Hotline Volunteer Info

Essential Hotline Resources

Below are the key links you’ll need while serving your Hotline shift. Each connects directly to the tool or form most needed by volunteers:

Table of Contents —  (click to jump to that section)

Introduction

Thank You for Your Time Experience Strength Hope Compassion Service

Even if you have taken the Hotline many times before, it is vitally important that you read the information in this manual and the Hotline Quick Start Guide before taking your first call.

You need to store the Hotline number (631) 669-1124 in your phone contacts as AA HOTLINE to more easily recognize a Hotline call!! This will ensure that the phone call coming in is from someone in need of help or assistance, and not a personal phone call.

Hotline Do's

  1. You are a facilitator — try not to spend more than 15-20 minutes talking with any single person. Your commitment is only for 12 hours. Be present and alert. You are saving lives.
  2. When working the Hotline, answer all calls promptly,  regardless if you are using a cell phone or your home phone.
  3. Make sure that the ringer is on, and try to ensure at all times that you have good phone service to prevent any missed calls.
  4. Do not allow the call to go to either your voicemail or answering machine. Keep your line free. Keep incoming calls brief.
  5. If you are using a landline to answer Hotline calls, disable your answering machine to prevent callers from getting your personal information.
  6. In the event a call is not answered within 25 seconds (about 6 rings), it will roll to the Hotline Chair or to a message asking the caller to try again in a few minutes.
  7. Announce yourself: “This is the AA Hotline, this is (your first name) speaking, how may I help you?” Please try to sound interested and happy to be of service. The tone in your voice sets the tone for the call. Remember the caller may be reaching out for help.
  8. Use your judgment on whether or not the person needs real help or is just bored and wants someone to chat with.
  9. Be patient and listen with compassion. Does the caller want help for himself or for a family member with an alcohol problem? Refer family members to Al Anon – see Alanon and Alateen section.
  10. Remember this is a program of attraction, not promotion. Do not talk for a long period of time (15-20 minutes), try to handle the call yourself, and if necessary let a local 12 Step volunteer call them back to provide them with additional talk time . You don’t want to tie up the Hotline and prevent other calls from coming in.
  11. At any time during your shift, try to handle the calls yourself. Don’t call someone on our 12 Step Phone List, to talk to a drunk who is “in the bottle.” Suggest to the caller that they try to call back when they are sober so we can be in a better position to assist them.
  12. If you think you may have missed a call, contact the Hotline Chair who has the ability to return their call.
  13. End your call. “Have a great day/good night and Thank you for calling the AA Hotline.” 
  14. At the end of your shift, complete the Hotline Shift Log
    • Click the button below
    • Record the number/type of calls (or “no calls”)
    • Keep any calls received regarding Meetings and 12 Step calls separate from each other.
    • Add any corrections to the 12 Step Call List or important notes in Additional Comments
    • Click the SUBMIT button
    The form takes less than 1 minute to fill out and helps keep our records accurate.

Hotline Dont's

  1. DO NOT ACCEPT ANY COLLECT CALLS!!!
  2. DO NOT answer any incoming calls by just saying, “Hello or Hi,” please follow the suggested script when announcing yourself to callers.
  3. DO NOT call back any caller to the Hotline for any reason. If you are unsure of how to handle the call, or unable to provide the information they are requesting, inform them that you will have someone call them back. Before ending the call, ask for their first name and phone number.
    Should it be necessary to do this, contact the Hotline Chair with the caller’s name and phone number, and he/she will return their call to better assist them.
  4. DO NOT give out your own telephone number to callers. Suggest the caller continue to call the AA Hotline number: (631) 669-1124.
  5. DO NOT leave your phone unattended, or to allow the call to go to your voicemail/answering machine.
  6. DO NOT under any circumstances, give out any 12 Step Volunteers  names or phone numbers. Period!

General Instructions

Make sure you are clear about what AA can and cannot do:

  1. We CANNOT give attendance reports for those people mandated by the courts to AA. Some AA groups do provide this information, but we can not speak on behalf of AA as a whole as this is normally a group conscience decision to do this.
  2. We CANNOT provide any acknowledgement of AA affiliation.
  3. WE CAN now provide transportation to a meeting for individuals that call the A.A Hotline. We have updated our 12 Step Volunteer Phone List to include the men and women on this list who will be available to provide the following other than just returning their phone call such as:
    1. Arrange to meet someone at an AA meeting
    2. Pick someone up and bring them to a meeting – with another AA member or,  (e.g., visit someone at home, or bring them to a detox or rehab).
  4. Anyone who has recently been released or may soon be released from either a Rehab or Detox Center and is requesting to be provided transportation to a meeting should be directed to the Bridging the Gap section of the  Treatment Facilities Committee page. There they will find an online form where they can “Request a Temporary Contact” who will then contact them to make arrangements to help them to get to a meeting.
    1. If the caller does not have internet access, as a Hotline Volunteer, you can fill out the form for them using the following link:
    2. If you are in a position where you are filling this form out for someone else, and another Hotline call comes in, inform the person you are speaking with that you have to end the call, and to please call back in 20 minutes in order to complete filling out the form.
    3. If the caller requests A.A. literature, refer them to the SIA office at (631) 654-1150. Business hours are 9AM – 3PM Monday through Friday; 9 AM – 1 PM Saturday.
  5. Jail releases and/or questions regarding corrections should be referred to the SIA Corrections chair who can be contacted through the SIA office (631) 654-1150 or at correct@suffolkny-aa.org.
  6. Questions about meetings: times, locations, types of meetings, etc. should be handled by you. Inform caller that meeting list info is also available on the SIA website and or the Mobile Meeting Guide App: Suffolk AA Meeting Finder
  7. For local Spanish language meetings or other questions regarding Spanish language AA please refer them to the numbers found in the Spanish Language AA section of this manual
  8. We are not professionally trained mental health crisis  workers, nor should we try to be. If someone is suicidal or otherwise in need of emergency mental health services, explain to them we are not that kind of hotline, and refer them to following where they can receive the necessary assistance.
Suffolk County Mental Health Hotline
(631-952-3333)

Reaching Out to 12 Step Volunteers

DO NOT give out ANYONE’S phone number EVER.
Step 1. Gather Caller Info
  • Get the caller’s first name and phone number.
  • Determine the type of help requested (“Call, Meet, or Take”).
  • Match by gender whenever possible (men with men, women with women).
Step 2. Call the Volunteer
  • Call the volunteer directly.
  • If they do not answer, leave a short voicemail identifying yourself as calling from the AA Hotline.
    • Example: “Hi, this is [your first name] calling from the AA Hotline. We have a person in need of help. Please call me back when you can.”
  • Keep all voicemails brief and do not include the caller’s personal information.
Step 3. Text the Volunteer
  • After leaving a voicemail, also send a text message:
    • Provide the caller’s first name and phone number.
    • If a caller is in need of transportation to a meeting, also include the caller’s address.
    • State that the caller is requesting someone to call them back.
    • Ask the volunteer to text you back to confirm they received your message.
    • Ask them to text again once they have contacted the caller.
Step 4. Ensure Coverage
  • Reach out to at least two or three volunteers to increase the chance of a timely response.
  • If no confirmation is received within 1–2 hours, continue reaching out to others on the list.
Step 5. Record and Report Updates
  • Note any corrections to the 12 Step Call List (e.g., phone number changes, availability).
  • You can include this in the comment section of the End of Shift Log.
  • OR email updates to the Hotline Chair at phones@suffolkny-aa.org.

DO NOT give out ANYONE’S phone number.

This information is confidential. This includes anyone calling the Hotline, any AA member or anyone outside of AA. ONLY YOU call the 12 Stepper and he/she will call back the person needing help. Set clear expectations with the caller that someone may not immediately be calling them back, and try to assure them that we will try to the best of our ability to have someone call them back by the end of the day or within 24 hours. If the caller insists on speaking to a specific person that is on our 12 Step List, or someone in AA, and you know and have that person’s telephone number, take the caller’s name and number and YOU call the person and give them the message. REMEMBER, DO NOT GIVE OUT ANY NAMES OR NUMBERS THAT ARE ON THE 12 STEP VOLUNTEER PHONE LIST TO ANYONE!! NEVER give out anyone’s last name, even to another member of AA. This is an anonymous program. Each person may decide for HIMSELF whether to use his last name or not. It is not your decision to make.

How to Fill Out Log Sheet

FYI: If a person calls and speaks in a sexually abusive manner, you DO NOT have to be subjected to that. Simply hang up the phone. DO NOT ENGAGE. If the calls continue, feel free to use the whistle attached to this manual. Use your best judgment; remember the caller may be a sick and suffering alcoholic. “Some people are sicker than others.” Document the incidents on the log sheet.
  1. Date of Service
  2. Time of Call
  3. Name of Caller (optional)
  4. Phone Number of Caller
  5. Reason for Call
    1. Requests meeting info
    2. Needs a ride (see page)
    3. Requests AA info (other than meeting info)
    4. Requests other info (i.e. Al Anon, Heroin Anonymous, Talbot House #, etc.)
    5. Wants to talk to another alcoholic
    6. Pervert
  6. Additional notes( optional)
  7. Name of AA member contacted and Home Group
  8. Action to be taken
Scenario:
On Thursday 7/17, Mrs. Smith called for help because her daughter is drinking too much. She wants someone from AA to talk to her and bring her to a meeting. What to do?
Hotline Operator: Explain that you cannot talk to the daughter unless the daughter makes the call and requests help for herself. Encourage the mother to call Al Anon and provide her with that number.
Log Sheet would indicate:
Date Time Smith Phone # Reason Note
7/17 8:30 PM Smith no # provided help for daughter Provided Al Anon #

NUMBERS to be GIVEN OUT TO CALLERS

AA Hotlines

AA Intergroup Hotlines Phone
Suffolk 24/7 Hotline 631-669-1124
Nassau Hotline 516-292-3040
N.Y. Hotline 9am-2am 212-647-1680
Bklyn Helpline 8am-12am 718-851-3039
Queens Hotline 718-520-5021

Spanish Language AA

AA Entity Phone
Spanish Suffolk Intergroup 631-639-4181
Spanish Nassau Intergroup 516-223-9590
Spanish NYC Intergroup 212-348-2644

Community Hotlines

Crisis Call CentersPhone
Suicide / Crisis HotlineCall/Text: 988
Child Abuse800-342-3720
D.A.S.H. Crisis Hotline631-952-3333
L.I. Crisis Center – Nassau Co.516-679-1111
L.I. Against Domestic Violence631-666-8833
NYS Domestic / Sexual Violence800-942-6906
The Retreat East End Shelter631-329-2200
Response Crisis Hotline631-751-7500
Runaway Hotline800-786-2929

NY AA Intergroups & Gen'l Service Office

AA Entity Phone
Suffolk SIA Office 631-654-1150
Nassau Intergroup 516-292-3045
Brooklyn Intergroup 347-315-2380
Orange County 845-534-8525
Rockland County 845-352-1112
Sullivan County 866-498-5686
NYC Intergroup 212-647-1647
SENY 718-665-1253
AA General Services 212-870-3400

Al-Anon and Alateen

Al-Anon Entity Phone
Suffolk 631-669-2827
Nassau 516-433-8003
NYC 212-941-0094
Al-Anon Family Groups Mobile App

Other 12 Step Fellowships

12 Step Fellowships Phone
Cocaine Anonymous Helpline 212-262-2463
Debtors Anonymous Greater NY Area 212-969-8111
Gamblers Anonymous LI Intergroup 855-222-5542
Heroin Anonymous L.I. Hotline 631-210-6297
Narcotics Anonymous Suffolk Area 631-689-6262
Nar-Anon Suffolk Area Hotline 888-333-9815

Alcohol/Substance Detox & Withdrawal

Medical Facility City Phone
South Shore Univ Hosp Bay Shore 631-698-3000
Eastern L.I. Hosp Greenport 631-477-5234
Huntington Hosp Huntington 631-351-2000
St Charles Hosp Port Jefferson 631-474-6000
Southampton Hosp Southampton 631-726-8200
Stony Brook Univ Hosp Stony Brook 631-689-8333
Good Samaritan Hosp West Islip 631-346-4444

A Safe Place - No Money Needed

Facility City Phone
Talbot House Bohemia 631-589-4144
New Hope Crisis Center Freeport 516-546-7070

Suffolk County Opioid Treatment Services

Provider City Phone
Hauppauge Treatment Program Hauppauge 631-853-7373
East End Opioid Treatment Program Riverhead 631-852-2680

Day / Outpatient / Residential Treatment

Agency City Phone
Outreach Project Numerous Locations 833-674-6967
Family Service League Numerous Locations 631-427-3700
Phoenix House Numerous Locations 844-815-1508
Catholic Charities Svcs Hampton Bays 631-723-3362
Hope for Youth Family Svcs Amityville 631-691-5100
SCO Morning Star Women Dix Hills 516-671-1253
YMCA Family Services Holtsville 631-580-7777
Samaritan Daytop Village Huntington 631-351-7112
Beacon Family Wellness Ctr North Babylon 681-422-7676
Mather Hosp Chem Dep OP Pt Jeff Station 631-331-8200
East End Counseling Sag Harbor 631-899-4575
LICH Chemical Dependency Shirley 631-852-1070

Inpatient/Rehab Facilities

Agency City Phone
South Oaks Hospital Amityville 631-608-5885
C.K. Post Rehab Brentwood 631-434-7200
Wellbridge Rehab Calverton 631-508-5506
Quannacut Inpatient Rehab Greenport 631-477-8977
The Dunes East Hampton 631-604-5405
L.I. Center for Recovery Hampton Bays 631-728-3100 x105
Seafield Center Westhampton Beach 631-288-1122 x1019

SUBSCRIBE

TO OUR MAILING LIST