Woman’s New Beginnings

Community groups and neighborhoods often object developmental projects within an area posing Not in My Backyard (NIMBY) responses. Past studies indicate that a fundamental characteristic of the NIMBY syndrome is a lack of trust in project experts or sponsors. More studies indicate that opposition to proposed developments within a community causes mistrust (Smith & Marquez, 2010). Ultimately, the NIMBY responses usually stem from concerns relating to environmental changes within the community whether social or economic. NIMBY responses often elicit public concerns resultantly averting conflict and legitimizing the administrative decision processes. Organizations often profit from NIMBY responses through the successful implementation of policies that are detrimental to their projects in question (Kraft & Clary, 1991). As such, considering the NIMBY responses directed towards the organization, A New Beginning, this paper presents a strategic training plan in which it highlights several aspects of the organization.  A New Beginning nestles within a community in Northwest Alabama. Primarily, the organization offers recovery services and facilities for women afflicted by drug abuse as well as other forms of addiction. One major misperception that A New Beginning has had to face is the common myth whereby others have the opinion that a recovery center for women will increase the stigma of addiction among women; commensurately, degrading them and imposing an inferiority complex upon their perception. It is true that while such a misperception persists, the community’s image begins to take a different shape. However, such negative-reinforcement theories are inadmissible against proven study hypotheses, which point out to the fact that addiction is an equal opportunity illness that cuts across gender, socioeconomic status, age and race, among others.  Addiction stigma among women relates to gender norms and the habits of intoxication. While in the past such stigma was intense, the shifting of present patterns, though gradual, is taking place. It is evident that stigma affects the social composition of a community tremendously. However, while this balance is essential for the proper interaction between community members, the reality that some women do not get the help they require for recovery outweighs it. A particular study shows that 25 percent of women who are opioid addicted and are pregnant often go untreated due to stigmatization (Brogly et al., 2017). Therefore, it is evident that this misconception is rampant among communities. Women are also emotionally unstable therefore are addicted prone than men and the addiction progress in women is faster compared to men among others.  As mentioned above, the location of A New Beginning is in Northwest Alabama with a surrounding population of close to 150,000. Within the community, many of its inhabitants have joined 12-step meetings and ecosystems that are supportive towards a life of sobriety and free from dependencies of all kinds. A New Beginning has the support of a wide range of church collaborations within the surrounding communities. In the process of recovery, many women have been able to get back on track and restore their lives through scholarships, donations, pledges, among others. In doing this, the participating women have in effect restored their lives and are productive members of the society.  The mission for the organization is the provision of an environment that presents as nurturing, loving, conducive, and safe while at the same time according the much-needed resources for women to actualize their visions and ultimately build a better foundation of sobriety for the future. To do this, the organization supports a six month to a year program that equips participants with life skills necessary to induce a life that is full of sobriety and drug-free. In essence, A New Beginning offers a unique destination designed purposely for a holistic, long-term recovery. Fundamentally, services offered by this organization render women of all ages to live under life’s own terms without having a dependency on drugs and alcohol. Through a program centered on rigorous honesty and the 12 steps principle, clients often transition to a life of stability. Moreover, this approach to recovery is individually based and has had numerous results.  Within the organization, implementing training strategies that are at par with the community often affects culture within the organization. Primarily, the culture of communication will alter in that it will be seamless and timely. As a culture also, service delivery will have to change and become transparent, efficient, and community-centric. Ultimately, to bring about acceptance in the community, the elucidation of its members, primarily, young adults and middle-aged adults are paramount. Educationally, primary objectives are important in ensuring the assimilation of information by community members. For an understanding among community members, educational objectives used shall first allude to an in-depth understanding. Once the establishment of understanding has taken place, critical thinking, effective expression and quantitative reasoning shall be the second educational objective. Both of these two objectives foster the evaluation of ideas through various methodologies, their subsequent clear communication and the attribute of making informed independent judgments. In addition, as an educational objective, intercultural understanding is quite imperative. Including this objective ensures community integration and acceptance of differences. Studies indicate that learning one’s own culture and viewing it comparatively leads to the appreciation and recognition of other cultures, thereby, recognizing thoughts and actions influenced by both history and culture, which in turn affects community acceptance. Therefore, these educational objectives have the potential of not only elucidating the community but also fostering lasting change and support. On the other hand, domains have various characteristics; therefore, conditions such as culture, environment, and demographics may affect strategy implementation.

References

Brogly, S., Turner, S., Lajkosz, K., Davies, G., Newman, A., Johnson, A., & Dow, K. (2017). Infants Born to Opioid-Dependent Women in Ontario, 2002–2014. Journal of Obstetrics And Gynaecology Canada, 39(3), 157-165. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2016.11.009 Kraft, M., & Clary, B. (1991). Citizen Participation and the Nimby Syndrome: Public Response to Radioactive Waste Disposal. The Western Political Quarterly, 44(2), 299. doi: 10.2307/448780 Smith, E., & Marquez, M. (2000). The Other Side of the NIMBY Syndrome. Society & Natural Resources, 13(3), 273-280. doi: 10.1080/089419200279108