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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
James Alan Neff, PhD, MPH and Clayton Shorkey, PhD. School of SOcial Work, University of Texas at Austin, 1925 San Jacinto Blvd, Ste 3.208C, Austin, TX 78712, 512-471-8267, jneff@mail.utexas.edu
Purpose: To understand ‘faith-based’ substance abuse treatment, qualitative and quantitative methods are needed to identify program elements which engage and retain substance abusers in recovery. This pilot study assessed: 1) the feasibility of using focus groups to identify spiritual dimensions of faith-based treatment programs, and 2) the ability of observers to rate programs on the presence of identified dimensions. Methods: Focus group methods were tested with 20 social work educators attending a 2 day workshop on faith-based treatment. Participants observed presentations or site visits by 6 programs ranging from licensed programs with professional staff to unlicensed evangelical programs with lay staff. Attendees were asked to: ‘Generate a list of activities or practices done in the programs that were ‘spiritual’’. Listed items were then grouped into ‘Spiritual dimensions’ which were then named by the group. Attendees individually rated programs on the presence of each spiritual dimension. Results: Nine ‘dimensions’ were generated : Bible Centrality (Guide for behavior); Conversion (Surrender to Group); Worship (Prayer Rituals); Meeting Basic Needs (Food, Shelter, Safety); Structure (Schedules and Discipline); Community (Brotherhood and Emotional Bonds); Socialization and Support (Role Modeling and Support); Work Ethic (Redemption and Skill Training); Local and Global Outreach (Street Evangelism and World Charity). Rating data showed that attendees could differentiate programs based on these dimensions. Implications: Focus groups agreed upon spiritual dimensions, despite limited or variable detail. Current methods will be extended to: 1) gather data from staff and consumers of faith-based programs, and 2) apply concept mapping techniques to clarify spiritual dimensions.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Faith Community,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.