Funding: NIDA R21 DA025208
This study combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies to understand community influences on adoption of the promising innovation of Sober Living Houses in one community where it has been successfully established. The rationale for the study suggests that translating promising interventions into community services requires demonstrating positive outcomes and consideration of social outcomes, particularly the level of knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers of various stakeholders. Phase 1 will survey 150 human service professionals using self report questionnaires. Phase 2 will include in depth interviews with 16 SLH managers to explore their views on how community stakeholders influence SLHs, current and past barriers, and how barriers have been overcome. During Phase 3, key informant interviews will be conducted with local housing, health department, and city manager administrators. These interviews will target information about policy and political forces that have impacted SLHs. Hypotheses address stakeholder perceptions of SLHs as well as perceived barriers. Quantitative analysis will include OLS and logistic regression models. Qualitative analysis will use a modified grounded theory approach to code, interpret and analyze the interview transcripts. Interpretation will focus on understanding how perceptions emerge and differ among stakeholders. Qualitative analysis will also identify barriers to expansion, how barriers were overcome in the target community, and where increased recovery-related translation efforts are needed most.
