Bridging the gap activities by A.A. members go back to the late 1930’s. Trying to reach drunks in correctional, therapeutic, and treatment settings and escorting them to meetings was an important part of early twelfth step work, but was often not organized. This changed in the 1970s, when the growth of inpatient treatment centers led A.A. members to realize that many alcoholics would need help finding A.A.
Most BTG programs today include regular visits to treatment settings by AA volunteers, who offer “temporary contact” to newly sober alcoholics to help them become part of AA when they leave the setting.