Evaluating the Effectiveness of Faith-Based Welfare Agencies

Abstract

This study examines the methodological challenges associated with conducting research on faith-based organizations. The arguments advanced are based on a group of comparative case studies conducted by the authors on secular and faith-based providers in three different social service domains: (1) transitional housing, (2) parent education, and (3) residential substance abuse treatment programs. All case studies utilized the same research protocol. The study identifies the lessons learned from comparative case study research on faith-based organizations when a similar protocol is implemented to examine a variety of social service domains and provider types.     

Social Service Research and Religion

Abstract

Development of accountability standards to demonstrate cause and effect relationships are gaining rapid advancement in the field of social sciences. Many governmental agencies, foundations, and other funders have developed approaches that require organizations to utilize science-based programs and incorporate evaluative methods to show improved outcomes and cost benefits to society. This article will examine the need for increased accountability in developing effective interventions by faith-based organizations in the delivery of social service interventions. Recently, there has been a strong movement toward governmental funding for faith-based institutions to provide social services, although there has been inadequate scientific data to demonstrate that approaches implemented are effective in meeting needs or yielding favorable outcomes. Similarly, many faith-based organizations provide innovative and effective programs that could serve as model programs if there was appropriate empirical evidence. This article will discuss how rigorous evaluative approaches such as randomized clinical control trials can produce scientific data on program effectiveness. We will use a case example in the field of drug and alcohol treatment to illustrate these points.     

Faith-Based and Community Initiative

Abstract

President Bush's Executive Orders to establish Centers of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives have encouraged the use of faith-based organizations (FBOs) as service providers in a range of federally funded programs. New federal rules and regulations are removing barriers so that FBOs can participate in these programs. Yet, there is no centralized information system that accumulates data related to performance standards or outcome measures. This article analyzes the scope and scale of services provided by FBOs and the diverse approaches to studying the outcomes from these services.     

Spiritual Mechanisms Underlying Substance Abuse Behavior Change in Faith-Based Substance Abuse Treatment

ABSTRACT

Despite increasing interest in “faith-based” substance abuse treatment and HIV risk reduction interventions, there is little systematic evidence of the efficacy of explicitly spiritual interventions. However, fundamental to effective interventions is an explicit conceptualization of mechanisms underlying behavior change. This paper discusses the definition of faith-based organizations, specifically as they relate to substance abuse treatment programs, briefly reviews relevant behavior change theories to identify key variables underlying change, presents an integrative conceptual framework articulating linkages between spiritual intervention components, behavior change processes and substance abuse outcomes, and discusses how the mechanisms identified in our model can be seen in commonly used substance abuse interventions. Overall, the paper suggests that what happens in “faith-based” programs may not be so different from processes taking place in good social work practice in the addictions field.     

Faith-Based Programs and the Role of Empirical Research

Abstract

After some decades of being subject to neglect or contempt, faith-based social care programs are receiving increased attention and resources enabling them to undertake a greater role in the national network of human services. Faith-based programs receiving public support can expect to be rightly scrutinized by the public, in terms of their ability to attain professed program goals. The tools of conventional empirically-oriented program evaluation research have tremendous potential to help demonstrate the effectiveness of faith-based programs, which will justify their receipt of ongoing support from public funds. Negative research findings can be properly scrutinized by the faith-based community of service providers to help make tough, data-based, decisions on funding priorities. Several examples are described, illustrating how various types of faith-based programs have profitably participated in program evaluation studies.     

How Do They Fit?

Abstract

Despite public policies that promote an increased role for faith-based organizations in the delivery of publicly supported services, insufficient attention has been paid to assessing how service delivery by faith-based and secular providers might differ. This study considers the issues involved in evaluating the role of faith-based organizations within the broad context of a community's social service offerings. Criteria are developed for assessing role differences by comparing the types of services, delivery approaches, and service locations offered by different types of providers. The approach is then illustrated using a large sample of social service providers in Los Angeles County. Important role differences are revealed. Faith-based organizations offer fewer and different types of services than their secular counterparts. The results suggest a modest and focused role for faith-based organizations in social service delivery, but one that is complementary to the efforts of secular providers. The methodological issues raised by such analyses are highlighted.     

Building a Faith-Based Human Service Agency

Abstract

Interest in faith-based organizations has increased substantially since the Bush administration made them a priority in the presidential campaign of 2000 and established a special office in the White House to promote their involvement in government supported human services. The primary goal of this initiative is to encourage faith-based organizations, usually understood to mean congregations, to engage their members in supporting services to those most in need. While most research on faith-based organizations is limited to the past decade or two, very little is known about how they operate. This case study of Community Ministries of Rockville, Maryland (CMR) is designed to address this issue. CMR differs from most faith-based organizations in that it neither represents a single congregation nor the traditional faith-related social service agency like Catholic, Jewish, or Lutheran Social Services. The case study features the twenty-five year history of the Executive Director of a faith-based human service organization supported by twenty congregations. It concludes with the identification of major challenges and lessons learned.     

Executive Orders for the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Abstract

Debate surrounding the Faith-Based and Community Initiatives draws both fire and praise as the Bush Administration continues to promote the federal funding of partnerships among state and local government and faith-based service providers. President Bush has endorsed religious groups as valuable partners in delivering services that address social problems through a series of Executive Orders. The intent of this article is to further our understanding of the history related to these executive decisions, the different conceptualizations for defining and classifying faith-based organizations, the issues surrounding faith-based organizations, and the legislative effort to make the faith-based initiative a permanent statutory feature.     

Spirituality and Faith-Based Social Services

Abstract

Spiritual aspects of faith-based social services are rarely addressed in discussions of policy initiatives encouraging greater involvement of faith-based providers in service delivery. This article reports findings of a qualitative study of the values, beliefs, and practices of non-congregational faith-based service providers. Twenty-two providers in Midwestern and northwestern regions of the U.S. were asked about the spiritual bases of their programs, spiritual dimensions of service relationships, distinctions between service communities and programs, and distinctions between service ministries and social work. Implications for collaborations among providers with different beliefs are discussed.     

Finding Congregations

Abstract

The need to assess the effectiveness of faith-based social interventions is pressing. On the one hand, politicians and pundits claim that faith-based organizations are impressively successful and inexpensive. On the other hand, critics claim that faith-based organizations lack the capacity to carry out social services. However, rigorously-collected empirical data is just beginning to appear and is still in short supply, particularly congregations. In this paper, we discuss some critical methodological and conceptual problems that arise from years of academic neglect of faith-based social service provision. We demonstrate how our attempt to create a comprehensive account of congregation-based social services in Philadelphia necessitated defining even such basic terms as “congregation” and devising novel methods for identifying and gathering information from congregations.     

A Faith-Based Alternative Youth Education Program

Abstract

Community-based and faith-based programs are on-going partners in the social welfare mix which characterizes U.S. welfare provision. In the face of calls for more rigorous research on the capacity and impact of faith-based and community-based programs which use public funds, the research community must gain sophistication in addressing methodological issues inherent in participatory designs for the study of such programs. This article describes concerns which arose while implementing participatory research during a federally-funded, intensive 10-month long case study of a faith-based alternative education program for at risk youth. The project was funded through the Department of Health and Humans Services, Administration for Children and Family. The challenges to data collection are presented and suggestions for doing participatory research in similar settings are discussed.     

Tailoring Organizational Characteristics for Empowerment

ABSTRACT

Empowerment is an important value orientation and intervention approach in social work and other disciplines. Viewed from an ecological perspective, a good fit between organizational characteristics and the life circumstances of individuals should provide empowerment benefits. By studying interaction effects of material resources and organizational characteristics on empowerment, this research sought to extend understanding of empowerment dynamics in community organizations. Using hierarchical regression analyses to investigate socio-economic status (SES) in a moderator model, findings of the study demonstrated that, among a diverse group of participants in two different faith-based community organizations, perceptions of organizational characteristics were more strongly related to empowerment for participants of lower SES. A substantive implication of the study is that community practitioners should attend to the fit between specific organizational processes and economic circumstances of community based organization participants. Strategies weighted toward attention to relationships among members linked to availability of and participation in a variety of organizational roles may be more salient for empowerment of the disadvantaged. Our findings are consistent with an ecological orientation to empowerment, and they add further support to the importance of ecological specificity in empowerment theory.     

The Effectiveness of Faith-Based Welfare-to-Work Programs

Abstract

This essay first highlights three major challenges of measuring program effectiveness. It concludes effectiveness can best be conceptualized in terms of program outcomes and that such outcomes-while difficult to measure-can be measured with sufficient accuracy to justify the effort. These considerations are then illustrated by data gathered from 17 Los Angeles welfare-to-work programs and their clients in order to assess the comparative effectiveness of faith-based and secular programs. The essay concludes that no one type of welfare-to-work program was more effective across the board than any other type of program. Instead, the different types of programs seemed to be especially effective in certain specialized areas. The faith-based programs were especially effective in providing welfare recipients with emotional support and a sense of having a sympathetic, understanding base of support. The for-profit providers were especially effective in providing needed training in marketable job skills and help in finding employment. The essay concludes by discussing two public policy implications that flow from this type of program specialization.     

Testing Faith

Abstract

The U.S. federal government, through Charitable Choice, has opened public funding for the delivery of social services to faith-based organizations (FBOs) more than ever before. This increased access to governmental funding at all levels has led to a closer examination of the evidence base on the effectiveness of the services provided by FBOs, and the capacity of FBOs to respond to data needs for accountability and program improvement efforts. This paper discusses the current status of evaluation research on FBO services and the emerging data needs among faith-based providers. Promising avenues for enhancing the current understanding of outcomes of FBO services are explored such as (1) adopting outcome measurement practices in use within the current nonprofit sector, and (2) developing more rigorous research designs tailored to the special contexts of faith-based services. The paper suggests an agenda in which FBO operators, funders, and evaluators work together to move forward in improving the evidence base on faith-based services.     

Intergenerational Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to provide an overview of the current state of intergenerational programming in one Canadian city. One-hundred and seven individuals in charge of programming in youth and seniors' organizations completed a telephone survey about intergenerational programs. More than one-third of organizations surveyed reported offering intergenerational programs, and the majority of these perceived their program to be successful. Participants added that there were no current overlaps in services, though a variety of gaps in and barriers to intergenerational programming were identified. There was also significant interest in and ideas for offering a diverse range of programs in the future. It was concluded that while interest in offering intergenerational programs was high, multiple barriers currently exist to offering such programs.     

Towards a faith-based program theory: a reconceptualization of program theory

A meta-program theory is proposed to overcome the limitations and improve the use of program theory as an approach to faith-based program evaluation. The essentials for understanding religious organizations, their various programs, and faith and spirituality are discussed to support a rationale for developing a faith-based program theory that captures the complex nature of religious program phenomena. Implications for public policy are examined. New concepts based on structural approach and four program theories are formulated for program analysis. Several theoretical concepts for faith-based program evaluation to guide methods for describing patterns that reflect the religious beliefs and values are suggested.     

Setting the Context

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of assessing the effectiveness of newly legislated social policies. In an era of growing public reliance on faith-based social services, it is imperative to be accountable and assess the efficacy and effectiveness of this set of providers. It discusses the paucity of such attempts and the complications involved in measuring effectiveness of social programs, especially when religion is involved. It then reviews the contributions provided in this volume and draws conclusions for future Studies.     

Building on Mutual Goals

ABSTRACT

In this era of diminishing federal and state funds for social services, greater attention has been directed toward how social work and the religious sector can cooperate in providing services. This article suggests that social workers should move beyond this focus and begin to identify and join in collective action with local congregations or faith-based organizations, which take an activist approach toward community needs. The author uses a case study of an activist central city church to illustrate how churches can be involved in community change. Social workers are encouraged to consider all methods of collaboration with the religious sector that would lead to the mutual goal of community betterment.