The Faith Partners model produces direct involvement of local congregations in order to utilize the volunteer support inherent in this natural ally in community-based action for treatment and recovery services. The Faith Partners model has been developed locally in Austin, Texas and Minneapolis, Minnesota over a 15 year period. Now, The Rush Center of the Johnson Institute is providing the support to roll it out nationally.

Otto Schultz of Lincoln Demand Treatment! recently attended a national Training of Trainers in the Faith Partners model. Otto has a 15 year history with Faith Partners, and will soon be qualified as a national trainer for them.

"I'm excited about this proven model and deeply committed to its success on a national level," Schultz says, "mainly because it has several unique strengths."

One of these strengths is that the model does not rely upon the involvement of the professional clergy, who often participate only indirectly, by blessing community efforts. Most congregations include people experienced in recovery and prevention who want their congregation to play an active role, and the Faith Partners model makes use of this resource.

Furthermore, Faith Partners is not a program, but a method for developing and maintaining teams who can choose their own programs depending on their abilities and the needs of the people they serve. The model helps teams to understand how to choose sound programs and gives allows them to work within the framework of their congregation's belief system.

Congregational Teams are trained to work with each other, community agencies, and other congregations. Team training takes over a year and occurs in 3 phases: basic information on addiction and the team's organizational process, team building, and evidence-based prevention and recovery programs.

The Faith Partners model also includes Area Coordinators, which are regional prevention centers who provide technical support to the Congregational Teams as they would a small coalition. There are currently four Area Coordinators located in Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Austin, and Shawnee, Oklahoma.

Trained groups focus on addiction as a disease, provide information to parents and children about alcohol and drugs, and intervene early and in non-judgmental ways when a congregation member exhibits symptoms of a problem.

The trained teams find ways that their congregation may become involved in treatment and recovery. Many sponsor an annual "Recovery Sunday" during which respected members of the congregation share their recovery stories during church services, which puts a familiar face on addiction and helps to dispose of stereotypes.

Other teams may sponsor recovery support groups based on their particular faith. In one community, several Congregational Teams worked together to rehabilitate a former crack house and open it as a women's three-quarter house.

For more information, contact Otto Schultz at starfish@inebraska.com or Drew Brooks at drewbrooks@johnsoninstitute.org.