Community organizing and community building. You read about the process of community organizing and building, including gaining entry, assessment, goal setting. How is community organizing and building relevant for the provision of substance use treatment? What might be necessary to implementing those approaches in a community setting?
Community organizing and building are profoundly relevant for the provision of substance use treatment because they shift the focus from an individual-centric, clinical model to a holistic, community-based approach. While clinical treatment addresses the biological and psychological aspects of addiction, community-level approaches address the social determinants of health and recovery, such as stigma, isolation, and lack of resources.
The key processes of community organizing and building—gaining entry, assessment, and goal setting—are directly applicable:
Gaining Entry and Counteracting Stigma: The first step in community organizing is to build trust and relationships with key community members. For substance use treatment, this is crucial for a population that is often marginalized and distrustful of authority. By gaining entry, organizers can work directly with individuals in recovery and their families, not as clients but as equal partners. This process itself helps to reduce the stigma associated with addiction by giving a voice and a face to the recovery community, normalizing the experience, and creating a sense of belonging that is a protective factor against relapse.