RMA or Affinity, what trumps what?

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Specializes in Med/Surg & Psych.

Hello all. So my RMA states " 12 NA meetings a month" but Affinity stated 3 NA meetings a week. I have emailed and called my case manager but, as usual, no response! It literally takes 3 weeks for a response, sometimes I don't even get one! (but that's a different rant)

I hate NA meetings, they do not help me. I was planning on doing 4 a week so I can skip a week to meet my 12 a month requirement, but Affinity says 3 a week. So, what do I follow?

Thanks!!

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Specializes in OR.

I would go by the letter of your contract. Affinity is a stupid program that is sold to (and/or owned by someone closely related to) programs all over the country. I would think that When it comes down to what you are mandated to, it is according to that contract.

When I go to sign in to Affinity, depending on which ISP I am coming from, I have gotten a Page from RAMP or some other unidentifiable state. None of which are my program. I think all of it is one gigantic database.

I would say to go by what your contract says.

12 a month...heh, I think I'd devote like 3 days a month to that torture and get it over with.

When I was sentenced to that dumb 90 in 90 **** no one said it had to be once a day, although I think that was the intention, I would suffer through like 4-5 a day at one of those all AA, all day clubhouse affairs. Read, play on my phone. Go get some lunch in between. Slip out early if the big book thumping or the anxiety got to be too much. It would have been funny if it wasn't so sad because I haven't drank since the first round of college and that was like 1991 or so.

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Oh the damn meetings. I don't know what to say except do the number you have to as specified as by your contract. If there is confusion call your case manager every day until you get a response. If you actually get something out of them god bless and attend to your hearts content. Otherwise attend and get your slip signed. Be respectful as many of these people are nice folks. Sit in the back. Play on your phone and give em a buck for the collection

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Specializes in OR.

Yeah. I tend to scoff at the 12 step stuff because I am very much not a fan of it and I should really hush my mouth about it because it has helped many people. I just think the idea of forced attendance is horrid. Wether it be for this or to keep oneself out of jail, how are you going to get something out of it if you don't want to be there. I've said it before and so has Spanked. You can't force recovery into someone.

My other argument is that why is a program whose job is to ensure that a nurse is safe to practice controlling what that nurse does with her time outside of thier nursing practice. Yes, I know, I'm preaching to the choir......

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I have mixed feelings about 12 step meetings. Don't get me wrong I loathe every second I'm there. However, if I honestly look in the mirror perhaps that red-hot hatred is more associated with the fact that I'm forced to attend them. After I got my DUI and before I got sucked into the Nazi Dominion of Monitoring Land I attended AA meetings on my own. In fact while I went to one daily for a couple months and stayed sober. Did they help? Honestly I don't know. I decided not to drink because I was ashamed of my DUI but they didn't hurt. I don't have the sort of hatred for 12 step meetings that I do for the "professional" rehab industry which I think is filled with damnable con artists intent of thieving as much cash as they can. The 12 step folks do what they do for free and a great number are very good people intent on helping others.

The day I get my official release papers I plan on sending every professional in my case a picture of me with a pitcher of beer in front of me and I don't even really like beer. I'll do this out of simple spite. If I ever decided on my own that I needed help to quit drinking I might look to the rooms for assistance as I would find good meaning (if not always like-minded) folks there. On the other hand I'd rather drink myself to death then submit myself to any form of professional rehab again

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