Faith-based Programs Research Articles

“A Different Atmosphere of Love”: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Participants in Evangelical Substance User Rehabilitation Programs in the Russian Federation

This article explores the lived experiences of individuals who have participated in faith-based substance user rehabilitation programs in the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation has high rates of alcohol and opioid dependence and a dearth of professional treatment options. In the post-Soviet period, Evangelical Christian groups have developed substance user rehabilitation programs to attempt to address substance use and its related problems. Data were collected during 2010 via focus group interviews with participants in three Evangelical rehabilitation programs in the Volga region of the Russian Federation. Themes emerging from the qualitative data analysis process were classified into three broad categories: Typical Day, Personal Background/Decision to Enter Rehabilitation, and Helpful Aspects of Rehabilitation Process.

Religious and non-religious components in substance abuse treatment: A comparative analysis of faith-based and secular interventions

Summary Recently, faith-based organizations have become increasingly welcomed as government partners in providing services for chronic social problems. In many countries including the United States policies permit social service and healthcare providers that utilize religious practices to be eligible for public funding. The government’s support of faith-based programs has provided increased capacity and gives clients more choice in providers. However, providers and policy makers have limited knowledge about the nature and treatment regimen of faith-based interventions. This qualitative study examined 28 faith-based and 27 secular substance abuse treatment programs in the United States using grounded theory methods to develop models of religious influences. Findings The comparison yielded major differences. Secular programs allow religious practices but consider them voluntary components. Faith-based programs adopt one of the two strategies. Some selectively introduce religious practices but separate them from other treatment activities. Others regard religious practices as essential to recovery and require participation in religious observance. Application This article describes the conceptual dimensions of religious practices in substance abuse treatment programs and will inform policy makers and practitioners about the role of religion in faith-based and secular programs.

Faith-Based Interventions for At-Risk Latino Youths: A Study of Outcomes

AbstractThis is a study of the comparative outcome success experienced by 2748 participants in government-funded faith-based and community-based intervention programs for at-risk and adjudicated Latino youths run by 28 providers in five western cities. The Latino Coalition, an intermediary faith-based organization, subcontracted with 28 sub-grantees that provided the services from 2005–2008. The study found similar outcomes were experienced by youths in the faith-based versus the community-based programs, but it did find significantly different outcomes by the comprehensive versus non-comprehensive nature of the programs. The study places its findings in the context of faith-based and community initiatives and draws conclusions concerning the public policy implications of the government partnering with faith-based and community-based organizations to provide public services to needy, and especially minority, populations.

Causation of Drug Abuse and Treatment Strategy

Many offenders participate in drug abuse treatment programs while in prison or on probation or parole. Among other benefits, this treatment may lessen the risk of recidivism. Thus, understanding counselor treatment philosophy is important as their attitudes toward treatment can be influential in the strategies they use and ultimately affect treatment outcomes. Analyzing data from 110 drug abuse treatment counselors, this study compared counselors' perceptions of causation of drug abuse and treatment strategy between faith-based and secular treatment programs. It was found that counselors from faith-based programs were more likely to endorse religious models and less prone to support disease models as an explanation of drug use. With regard to treatment strategy, counselor's group affiliation was not predictive of a focus on either a client religious need or a medical treatment model. Nevertheless, the extent of counselor's religiosity was correlated with tackling clients' religious needs as a treatment strategy. On the other hand, certified (licensed) counselors were found to be more supportive of the medical model as a treatment approach. Limitations of the current study and policy implications are discussed.

Developing culturally congruent weight maintenance programs for African American church members

Objectives. Developing community-based and culturally congruent weight loss maintenance programs is an important component of weight reduction interventions in high-risk populations. This qualitative investigation was conducted to guide development of faith-based weight maintenance programs for African American church members. Design. Twenty African American church members who previously participated in a church-based group weight loss program were recruited to participate in focus groups. This qualitative inquiry focused on the role of faith in maintaining healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as healthy eating and regular physical activity. Within these groups, a nominal group process was used to identify activities and language to be included within a faith-based maintenance program. Results. Content analysis identified seven conceptual domains that participants thought were important aspects of a faith-based weight maintenance program: (1) accountability for change targets, (2) programmatic tools, (3) group benefits and support, (4) keys to successful behavior change, (5) keys to church and programmatic level success, (6) addressing barriers, and (7) faith. The faith sub-domains included faith in the Lord, using the body for God, and a spiritual focus. The nominal group process resulted in 11 recommended components for a faith-based weight maintenance program. The top four included scriptures and prayers are ‘walk of faith,’ healthy diet, exercise, and focusing on God. Conclusions. The results suggest that integrating faith themes into a weight loss maintenance program may increase its long-term impact on participants' health behavior change.

Drug Treatment Among Mandated Female Drug Abusers in a Faith-Based Program: Religion/Spirituality as a Predictor of Motivation in Treatment

The purpose of this study was to determine if female drug abusers in a faith-based drug treatment program would have higher levels of motivation in treatment based on their self-reported religious and/or spiritual orientation. This study utilized the religiosity/spirituality subscale and the sexual abuse subscale from the PEI-A (Personal Experience Inventory-Adult) and a variety of mental health related subscales from the MAQ (Maryland Addiction Questionnaire). Results of the study found significant relationships between religious orientation and motivation in treatment programming.

Physicians' Beliefs About Faith-Based Treatments for Alcoholism

The study examined physicians' beliefs about faith-based alcohol treatments vis-à-vis Alcoholics Anonymous, pharmacologic treatment, and residential treatment. A survey was mailed to a national sample of U.S. primary care physicians and psychiatrists. It included a brief vignette of a nominally religious 47-year-old man hospitalized for acute alcohol poisoning who requested addiction treatment. Physicians rated the likely effectiveness of three treatment methods: Alcoholics Anonymous, pharmacological therapy by an addiction specialist, and a residential program. Physicians were asked whether they would refer the patient to a faith-based program (beyond Alcoholics Anonymous) and whether an emphasis on spirituality is critical to 12-step program success. The response rate was 896 of 1,427 (63%) for primary care physicians and 312 of 487 (64%) for psychiatrists. Psychiatrists were more likely to rate Alcoholics Anonymous as very effective (64% versus 57% of primary care physicians), more likely to rate residential treatment as very effective (47% versus 38% of primary care physicians), and more likely to rate pharmacologic therapy as very effective (31% versus 22% of primary care physicians). Psychiatrists and primary care physicians were equally likely to consider referring the patient to a faith-based program (71% and 79%) and equally likely to believe that “an emphasis on spirituality is critical to the success of 12-step programs” (81% and 85%). Psychiatrists were more optimistic than primary care physicians about all three treatments. Physicians in both specialties would refer even nominally religious patients to explicitly faith-based programs (beyond Alcoholics Anonymous). Physicians' enthusiasm for faith-based treatments highlights the need for scientific study of these treatments to determine which elements are most helpful for patients seeking recovery.

Religious Conversion and Treatment Outcome

Religious conversion has been the core of religion-based treatment models (e.g., Teen Challenge programs in the United States and Operation Dawn in Taiwan). This study aims to assess the impact of religious conversion on treatment retention and completion and to identify correlates of treatment retention and completion. In-take data and administrative records from 708 substance abusers who participated in an Evangelical faith-based recovery program in Taiwan between January 2001 and March 2009 were used to analyze the effect of religious conversion on treatment retention and completion. It was found that religious conversion is a strong predictor of length of stay in treatment and completion of treatment. Findings shed light on the empirical adequacy of the religious model of recovery and the profile of substance abusers likely to respond to faith-based interventions.

‘Big stuff in a beautiful way with interesting people’: The spiritual discourse in UK religious television

This article critically examines changes in the style and tone of religious broadcasting. Increasingly, a discourse of spirituality and faith is used by television producers to describe and discuss their output, as these are seen as less contentious and more audience-friendly ways of promoting faith-based programming. However, these themes continue to be framed within a recognizable set of religious traditions, mainly Christian. Combining interviews with producers and analysis of the BBC series Extreme Pilgrim (2008), this article examines the representation of spirituality as it is visualized and narrated. It analyses how this representation challenges traditional religious institutions, the new role it creates for broadcasters within lifestyle television, and discusses whether this subjective position can be conveyed authentically through the medium of television. The future of religious broadcasting rests on finding sustainable formats, yet these lifestyle formats offer distinct challenges in relation to their successful production and reproduction.

An Evidence-Based Assessment of Faith-Based Programs: Do Faith-Based Programs “Work” to Reduce Recidivism?

Faith-based organizations administer many of the prison-based programs aimed at reducing recidivism. Many of these organizations also manage treatment programs for substance abusers, at-risk juveniles, and ex-offenders. Much of the research on religiosity and delinquency indicates that the two are inversely related. Therefore, it seems plausible that faith-based programs, which are rooted in religious organizations, may be effective tools for reducing deviant and criminal behavior. However, it is unclear whether the empirical evidence supports such a claim. This study is an evidence-based assessment of the effectiveness of faith-based programs for reducing recidivism. The results of this study indicate that faith-based programs “work” to reduce recidivism. Directions for future research are discussed.

What Is a Christian Faith-Based Recovery Program?

No descriptions of faith-based recovery programs (FBRPs) that include explicit religious content and activities were found searching 2004-2010 electronic databases. This article describes an underdocumented FBRP: an evangelical Christian faith-based recovery home (FBRH) known as The Potters House Restoration Ministries, to increase awareness about a FBRP that incorporates explicitly religious components, and reiterates the call for better description of FBRPs so that replication and evaluation of outcomes are possible.

Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Faith-Based Program to Increase Lifestyle Physical Activity

Process and Outcome Evaluation of a Faith-Based Program to Increase Lifestyle Physical Activity

Everything We Know About Faith-Based Prisons

This Article examines everything we know about the effectiveness of faith-based prisons, which is not very much.Most studies cannot be taken seriously because they are tainted by the “self-selection problem.” It is hard to determine the effect of faith-based prison programs because they are voluntary, and volunteers are more likely to be motivated to change and are therefore already less likely to commit infractions or be re-arrested. This problem is the same one that education researchers have struggled with in determining whether private schools are better than public schools.The only credible studies done so far compare participants with non-participants who volunteered for the program but were rejected. Some studies in this category find no effect, but some do find a modest effect. But even those that find an effect are subject to additional critiques: for instance, participants may have benefited from being exposed to treatment resources that non-participants were denied.Thus, based on current research, there is no strong reason to believe that faith-based prisons work. However, there is also no strong reason to believe that they do not work. I conclude with thoughts on how faith-based prison programs might be improved, and offer a strategy that would allow such experimentation to proceed consistent with the Constitution.

The Changing Face of Religion in Wales

The recent religious history of Wales has been marked by a numerically declining religious constituency although this now appears to be stabilising, albeit in difficult circumstances. ‘Traditional’ Nonconformist Christianity appears in crisis, particularly Welsh medium churches and chapels. The historic churches struggle to maintain themselves with diminishing resources and the evangelical sector is increasingly repositioning itself to meet the challenges brought on by deep changes in Welsh economy, society and culture. On most measures Wales is now a secular society which would appear to confirm the arguments of orthodox proponents of the secularization thesis. This article seeks to relate Welsh secularization to this discourse, arguing that economic and material factors and the creation of social as well as religious capital are a neglected area of secularization studies that traditionally focus on measures of belief. Significant socio-economic changes specific to Wales go a long way to explain both the decline of traditional areas of religious life and contemporary religious adaptation. Furthermore, the field of faith-based social action programmes is expanding in Wales (and elsewhere in the UK) and this raises some interesting questions. Social or structural differentiation is a core element of the orthodox secularization thesis, focussing on the erosion of those social and communal relations that customarily support religion but arguably faith-based social entrepreneurship offers a potential route back to social and communal significance.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Concept Mapping-Based Dimensions of Faith-Based Substance Abuse Treatment

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) techniques are used to evaluate the fit of a seven-dimensional concept mapping–based model of key dimensions of faith-based substance abuse treatment, using data from 310 staff and clients of 12 faith-based Teen Challenge programs. The initial seven-dimensional model fit poorly (fit indices of .62–.64), though, after trimming items with low loadings or redundant item content, model fit was increased substantially (fit indices of .87–.89). Overall, the current analyses provide preliminary support for the meaningfulness of the seven-dimensional model of faith-based treatment programs, despite different statistical approaches.

Dilemmas and tensions facing a faith-based organisation promoting HIVprevention among young people in South Africa

Faith-based organisations (FBOs) are receiving growing attention for their roles in addressing HIV and AIDS in southern Africa. These roles, however, are not without philosophical challenges. Yet, to date, most references to the successes or limitations of FBOs have remained the domain of theoretical and, often, ideological debate. In this context, discussions about the roles of faith and FBOs in responding to HIV and AIDS often evoke extreme positions—either advocating for or critiquing their involvement. In place of this there is a need for empirical evidence and analyses that shed light on both the challenges and opportunities of faith-based HIV-prevention programming. This article presents a critical sociological analysis of the complexities confronting one FBO in its effort to deliver an abstinence-focused HIV-prevention programme to school-going adolescents in a poor peri-urban area of South Africa. As one aspect of a larger mixed-methods evaluation, this analysis is based on 11 focus group discussions, variously held with parents, teachers, learners and programme facilitators, in an effort to determine how and why the participants perceived the programme to work. We present and analyse four sources of tension appearing within the data which relate to the programme's faith-based orientation: a) enthusiasm for sexual abstinence despite awareness of the structural constraints; b) a dichotomous framing of behaviours (i.e. good versus bad); c) mixed messages about condoms; and d) administering faith-based programming within secular public schools. Through this analysis we aim to identify opportunities and challenges for faith-based HIV-prevention efforts more broadly. We argue that any assessment of faith-based HIV-prevention programming ought to respect and reflect its complexity as well as the complexity of the context within which it operates.

Communicating HIV/AIDS Through African American Churches in North Carolina: Implications and Recommendations for HIV/AIDS Faith-Based Programs

This study explores HIV/AIDS communication strategies among church leaders at predominately African American churches in a metropolitan city and surrounding areas in North Carolina. The church leaders contacted for the study are members of an interfaith-based HIV/AIDS program. The researchers used semi-standardized interviews to explore how church leaders address HIV/AIDS in the church. The findings indicate that the seven church leaders who participated in the study use a variety of communication channels to disseminate HIV/AIDS information for congregants and their surrounding communities, which include both interpersonal and mass media.

Reasons for Faith-Based Correctional Program Participation: An Examination of Motive Types

Although faith-based correctional programming has become increasingly popular in recent years, offenders' motivation to participate and the impact on prison adjustment have received little attention. Analyzing interview data of 83 participants of the Federal Bureau of Prison's faith-based correctional program, this study explored the different types of motives for program participation and examined their associations with prison adjustment as measured by misconduct. The results from content analysis showed that the offenders whose motives were congruent with the general goals of the program were less likely to commit misconduct before and after their program enrollment. The Prochaska scale, which measures levels of change in general, did not differ greatly with these more specific motive types. This implies that offenders' program-specific motives could be meaningfully associated with their prison adjustment.

Developing Peer Leaders and Reducing Recidivism Through Long-Term Participation in a Faith-Based Program: The Story of Welcome Home Ministries

Welcome Home Ministries is a faith-based community reentry organization serving women being released from jail and/or prison. Welcome Home's mission is to create a faith-based support system for women from incarceration to productive citizenship. Welcome Home's goal is to reduce recidivism of women ex-offenders who suffer from substance abuse and mental health issues by creating a healthy life focus. Founded by Warner-Robbins in 1996, Welcome Home (WHM) has provided service to more than 300 women per year who have been released from jail or prison into San Diego County communities. The women served usually have few resources and need support to address the lifestyle values and changes that must be confronted to make a successful transition back into the community. The combination of recovery programs, peer services, and early intervention have proven to be effective in assisting the women through the change process. To date, more than 80% of the women we have served have been able to sustain their recovery and avoid additional offenses requiring a return to jail or prison. Welcome Home has helped women go to college, embark on careers in drug and alcohol counseling or nursing, and reunite with their families. Welcome Home provides a healthy supportive environment, within which women who had never made healthy choices for themselves, now assist other women getting out of jail or prison in making healthier decisions for their lives.

Acting Out Abstinence, Acting Out Gender: Adolescent Moral Agency and Abstinence Education

This article explores faith-based, performance-oriented abstinence education through the lens of feminist theology by drawing on fieldwork with an urban, young adult dance and drama team whose mission is to promote abstinence through performances at high schools and church rallies. Through observation of performances and interviews with performers and program leaders, I examine abstinence education by looking at the way gender is performed both on stage and in everyday life. I argue that the performances observed in this setting can provide a space by which to examine the gendered nature of abstinence pledges. I then ask how the gendered nature of abstinence-only education affects limitations of agency as I argue that the gender roles present within faith-based abstinence education programs could be the greatest obstacle in encouraging a delay of sexual debut among adolescents and young adults.