Faith Wellness Collaboration: A Community-Based Approach to Address Type II Diabetes Disparities in an African-American Community

Community-based participatory action research was utilized to form a collaboration that developed a Health Ministry program in four Northeastern urban Black Churches, in which they designed and implemented a culturally competent Type II Diabetes self management education program. Minister sponsorship and a program coordinator synchronized the four Health Ministries' development and diabetes program planning. A case study design, and participant observations and a focus group methodology were used to explore the faith-based community residents' collaboration development, and design and implementation of the health promotion program. The implementation process can be described as occurring in four essential elements: (1) the development of the health ministry in each of the four churches; (2) the process in which the four ministries coordinated their activities to create the diabetes education program; (3) the process of delivering the diabetes education program; and (4) the challenges in promoting the diabetes education program across the community. Practice implications, as well as cultural competency issues related to social work practice with faith-based organizations and African-American communities, are also presented.