Importance of Developing Community Partnerships
Drug addiction has been a problem in rural areas. Factors that contribute to drug addiction in those areas might include the high levels of poverty, unemployment, isolation, homelessness, and low-education attainment. Apparently, people as young as ten years have addiction problems in rural areas. Interestingly, it has been a difficult task to combat drug addiction in the countryside. In that case, it is important to form community partnerships because there is an added value in working together. Moton (2010) assert that partnerships are significant because they help communities to assess their strengths, assets, and needs of all partners. However, the process of developing those partnerships does not occur overnight. Instead, it takes time and requires the right programs and frameworks from the beginning to measure success or failure.
Community programs
One of the efficient community program, which can help prevent drug addiction is the National Rural Development Program. The intervention can make residents in rural areas cope. Additionally, it can teach individuals who have addiction problems to identify and deal with their impulses and develop social skills. Nurses together with volunteers in the communities can help people with addiction to overcome it. Primarily, the program can address some health issues associated with substance abuse and addiction as well as problematic behaviors.
Health Issues
Common health concerns associated with substance abuse and addiction in underserved populations such as the rural communities include organ damages, depression, aggressiveness, psychosis, and memory loss. Damari, Pishkuhi, Masoudiasl, and Bostanmanesh (2015) affirm that drug abuse and addiction affects the economic field and many working environments. Some of the community resources available in rural areas might be addiction recovery centers, community health workers, and community counselors.
Role of Community Nurses
Community nurses can advocate for social justice for the improvement of the health of the vulnerable population and eventually eliminate health disparities by connecting with the people and collect information. They can increase the access to care and provide health education. More so, they can advocate for social justice by helping them to address their economic, social, environmental, and political rights. OMahony (2011) articulates that nurses have to safeguard patient autonomy and act on patients who are unable to help themselves by championing social justice. On the real sense, nurses can help those individuals who have addiction problems to change their ways.
Risk Factors
Factors that may contribute to homelessness and health problems as outlined in the paper might be the poverty levels, unemployment, housing policies, poor nutrition, and wider policy developments. These individuals living in rural areas have no easy way to take care of themselves, let alone their families. Their only option then is to resort to substance abuse. Over time, they become addicts. Below is a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) analysis in the National Rural Development Program.
Strengths
Availability of programs that can help cope the addiction
Access to community health workers
Availability of donor funding
Weakness
Lack of dedication to reform
Need for dissemination of all available resources
Need for more communication
Need for more resources to help the entire community
Lack of sufficient policies
More outreach programs to provide services to the wider community
Opportunities
Availability of community health workers as well as nurses
Availability of programs that can help addicts to reform
Threats
Need for more addiction recovery centers
Need for more volunteers
Lack of traditional and moral values
Lack of coordination
References
Damari, B., Ahmadi Pishkuhi, M., Masoudiasl, I., & Bostanmanesh, G. (2015). Interventions to
Reduce Drug Abuse in Pars Special Economic Energy Zone. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, vol. 17, no. 11.
Moton, G. E. (2010). Exploring the Role of Partnerships in Health Promotion. Retrieved from
https://depts.washington.edu/ccph/pdf_files/p-AHPA-510.pdf
OMahony, S, P. (2011). Social Justice Advocacy in Nursing: What Is It? How Do We Get
There? Creative Nursing, vol. 17, no.2.
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