The Imani Strengthening the Core project aims to enhance the capacity of Black and Latine churches to sustain spirituality, promote harm reduction, and support recovery through faith-based substance use interventions. This initiative leverages the inherent trust and support within these churches to address disparities in addiction treatment. Research highlights the vital role of spirituality in recovery, with faith-based programs boosting participants' spiritual well-being. Forgiveness is also crucial for recovery. Despite the successes of churches in developing faith-based addiction programming, more research is needed on how churches can sustain these interventions.
We posit that strengthening core elements—spirituality, forgiveness, gratitude, and a sense of community—will enhance readiness. The Imani Strengthening the Core project addresses this gap. Initially, in our Imani Breakthrough Faith-based Opioid Recovery program (now in 16 churches), some churches struggled with stigma; however, significant attitude shifts occurred through education and interaction with Imani participants and facilitators with lived experience. Facilitators reported increased forgiveness, spirituality, and gratitude, suggesting broader community impacts.
This project aims to: 1) assess the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and tolerability of the Strengthening the Core intervention; 2) develop and test training materials to prepare church leaders for delivering impactful educational sessions and sermons; 3) gather preliminary effectiveness data; and 4) work with churches to create implementation planning teams with churches to expand readiness for implementing and sustaining faith-based substance use ministries.
Combining insights from previous studies with new evidence, we aim to enhance churches' capacity and readiness for future Imani programming and substance use ministries, thereby fostering holistic healing and resilience within faith communities.
