Neighborhood & Community Organizing: Forging HIV Partnerships with Rural African – American Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs)
Abstract
The neighborhood and community organizing practice model addresses how African American faith leaders and FBOs of rural communities can participate in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Faith leaders play a pivotal role in rural communities and their influence must be recognized to help reduce the prevalence of AIDS in such communities.
Proposal Summary
The neighborhood and community organizing approach is a grassroots community evidence-based practice model. The model prepares faith leaders and members of African American rural communities to build infrastructure and leadership capacity for developing resources and building partnerships to prevent HIV/AIDS. The strategies used in the model may be applied to any geographic locale; however, the approach and implementation of strategies developed for rural communities are unique. For example, neighborhood and community organizing takes place when people have face-to-face contact with each other so that connections and trust can be established (Gamble & Weil, 2010). If trust and communication has not been established, the opportunity to help persons living with HIV will move slowly or become lost. An interdisciplinary approach is used to embrace concerns encountered by many disciplines (e.g., health, education, social and behavioral scientists, etc.) to lend support for quality care and services to persons living with HIV. Faith leaders and informal helpers are strongly encouraged to participate. The presentation is interactive. Participants are encouraged: 1. To brainstorm ways to use resources in their rural communities. 2. To brainstorm ways to approach faith leaders for support and creation of an HIV/AIDS Prevention Ministry through the use of role play and/or case studies. Upon completion of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Discuss the needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS in rural communities and the scope of such services. 2. Discuss the barriers and gaps that limit development of resources and services for persons living with HIV in rural communities. 3. Recognize the pivotal role faith leaders and FBOs play in the prevention of HIV. 4. Implement 1-2 strategies in the neighborhood and community organizing model. Handout Materials – The following handouts will be distributed: 1. A list of strategies and/or approaches to use with FBOs in rural communities. 2. A template of the neighborhood and community organizing model. Gamble, D. N. & Weil, M. (2010). Community practice skills: Local to global perspectives. New York: Columbia University Press.
Relevance And Significance
The workshop addresses two conference tracks: (1) Family and Community (faith-based partnerships and service projects) and (2) Advocacy (strategies for working with community leaders). FBOs are key resources, especially in rural communities; the barriers that hinder these groups/organizations participation must be addressed so that they can lend support in the fight against HIV.
Session Format
Workshop
Keywords
Rural Community, African Americans, Faith-based Organizations (FBOs), HIV/AIDS
Location
Room 210
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Morris-Mitchell, Dr. Betty, "Neighborhood & Community Organizing: Forging HIV Partnerships with Rural African – American Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs)" (2016). 9th Annual Rural HIV Research and Training Conference (2014-2019). 8.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ruralhiv/2016/2016/8
Neighborhood & Community Organizing: Forging HIV Partnerships with Rural African – American Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs)
Room 210
The neighborhood and community organizing practice model addresses how African American faith leaders and FBOs of rural communities can participate in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Faith leaders play a pivotal role in rural communities and their influence must be recognized to help reduce the prevalence of AIDS in such communities.