An important first step to engage and equip the faith community is an extensive consultation with a Faith Partners staff person. Consultation is part of the Congregational Readiness Tool-kit purchase or can stand alone.

Our time together is focused on the journey of a congregation, community, or statewide effort to mobilize the response of the faith communities, on a congregational community level to address substance use disorders, other addictions, and related co-occurring experiences. The consultation process uses the AAA model starting with where the client envisions going, where they assess they are starting from, and an exploration of tools and strategies to walk them through creating Awareness about the problem and their response, the congregational communities’ Acceptance of the problem and role in the response, and finally; Action looking at the next steps in the process.

Faith Partners can help the client walk through the three phases of our model: 1) Readiness, which explores the receptiveness and resistance of the community; 2) Development, which builds the capacity leading to an effective response; and 3) Sustainability, which develops “scaffolding” to support the initial development of these fledgling ministries and services within the community so they will last the test of time..

This time of consultation also offers an opportunity to bring together religious, community and coalition leaders (stakeholders) to be informed on the Faith Partners team model, the stages of site and ministry development, develop strategies to build community readiness, identify strategies to recruit congregations, initiate team development, and involve community resources. It is a time to see the big picture – the full process of initiating, nurturing and sustaining congregation and community efforts. It is a critical step to recruiting congregations.