Core Competencies for Clergy and Other

Pastoral Ministers in Addressing

Alcohol and Drug Dependence and the

Impact on Family Members

Substance Abuse and the Family:

Defining the Role of the Faith Community

Report of an Expert Consensus Panel Meeting

February 26-27, 2003

Washington, DC
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This report was prepared by the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and the

Johnson Institute under contract for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT),

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Clifton Mitchell served as the CSAT Government Project Officer.

DISCLAIMER

The views, opinions, and content of this publication are those of the conference participants

and authors and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of SAMHSA or

DHHS.

PUBLIC DOMAIN NOTICE

All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied

without permission from SAMHSA. Citation of the source is appreciated. However, this

publication may not be reproduced or distributed for a fee without the specific, written

authorization of the Office of Communications, SAMHSA, DHHS.

ELECTRONIC ACCESS AND COPIES OF PUBLICATION

This publication may be accessed electronically through the following Internet World Wide

Web connection: www.samhsa.gov. For additional free copies of this document please call

SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686 or

1-800-487-4889 (TTD).

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers in Addressing Alcohol and Drug

Dependence and the Impact On Family Members DHHS Pub. No. XXXX. Rockville, MD:

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration, [2004].

ORIGINATING OFFICE

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857

Printed 2004
Table of Contents

Page

Introduction............................................................................................................ i

Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers................................... iii

Report of the February 2003 Expert Consensus Panel Meeting ............................... 1

Appendix A: Meeting Participants ........................................................................... 15

Appendix B: 2001 Report Executive Summary and Recommendations .................. 21

Appendix C: Suggested Tools for Seminary Training .............................................. 25

Appendix D: Selected Bibliography......................................................................... 27

i

Introduction

The benefits of engaging the faith community in both the prevention and treatment of

substance abuse and dependence cannot be

overstated. According to SAMHSA’s National

Survey of Drug Use and Health, today, an

estimated 7.7 million persons aged 12 or

older need treatment for an illicit drug

problem; 18.6 million need treatment for an

alcohol problem. Compounding the problem, countless individuals in need of services

cannot or do not receive them. Of the 7.7

million who need treatment for an illicit

drug problem, only 1.4 million individuals

received treatment at a specialty substance

abuse facility. Of those not getting needed

treatment, an estimated 362,000 reported

they knew they needed treatment – among

them, approximately 88,000 who had

sought but were unable to get the treatment

they needed.

SAMHSA has been responding to the needs

of people with or at risk for substance use

disorders creatively, thoughtfully, and with

an eye toward outcomes that can be measured by lives of dignity and productivity.

SAMHSA’s vision is of a life in the community for everyone, a vision that is a hallmark

of President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative.

SAMHSA is achieving that vision by emphasizing the twin goals of building resilience

and facilitating recovery. In collaboration

with the States, national and local community-based organizations, and public and

private sector providers, we are working to

ensure that people with or at risk for substance use disorders have an opportunity for

lives that are rich and rewarding, that

include jobs, homes, and meaningful relationships with family and friends. The

engagement of the faith community is an

integral part of that effort, particularly at the

local level.

Thus, in November 2001, SAMHSA supported a meeting of an expert panel on

seminary education, convened in collaboration with the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA) and the Johnson

Institute (JI). That panel recommended the

development of a set of “core competencies”

– basic knowledge and skills clergy need to

help addicted individuals and their families.

To help develop those core competencies,

SAMHSA, again joined by NACoA and JI,

convened a more broadly based panel

meeting in Washington, DC, on February 26-

27, 2003. This report details the content of

that meeting and the resulting core competencies recommended as a result of the

collective work of the meeting participants.

The Structure of the Core

Competencies

Recognizing that clergy and other pastoral

ministers have an array of opportunities to

address problems of alcohol and drug

dependence based on their own positions

(e.g., small vs. large congregations, adult vs.

youth ministries), panelists agreed that core

competencies should provide a general

framework with application to diverse

pastoral situations. The core competencies

should reflect the scope and limits of the

typical pastoral relationship and should be

in accord with the spiritual and social goals

of such a relationship. Panelists delineated

the multiple, intersecting roles of the major-
ii

ity of clergy and other pastoral ministers: to

comfort and support individuals, to create

communities of mutual caring within congregations, and to educate the congregation,

and sometimes the larger community, about

issues of importance to individual and

community well-being. They recognized that

each pastoral role offers specific opportunities to address alcohol and drug dependence

and their impact on individuals and families.

Panelists also recognized that each opportunity is unique, requiring a particular set of

knowledge and skills.

Summarizing the Clergy’s Base of

Knowledge and Skills

Panelists agreed that, if clergy are to integrate work on alcohol and drug dependence

into their pastoral roles, they need basic

facts about these illnesses and their impact

on the individual and family members. They

need to be knowledgeable about:

• The neurological mechanisms and

behavioral manifestations of alcohol and

drug dependence

• The effects of alcohol and drugs on

cognitive functioning

• The role alcohol or drugs may play in

the life of an individual

• The various environmental harms posed

by alcohol and drug dependence to

families, workplaces, and society as a

whole

• The experience of alcohol and drug

dependence; how alcohol or drug use

affects the “inner world” of the individual using them and how it can affect

family members

Panelists also suggested that clergy should

be able to articulate a “theological anthropology” of addiction, able to understand and

explain in religious terms how addiction is a

barrier to spirituality and how recovery can

be achieved. The texts and liturgical practices of each individual faith can serve

as important resources in these efforts.

Recommendations: Next Steps

Having developed a list of “Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers

in Addressing Alcohol and Drug Dependence

and the Impact on Family Members,” the

panel suggested both strategies to communicate the competencies and tools to assist in

integrating the competencies into clergy

training. Suggestions included a public

awareness campaign directed to religious,

professional, and lay audiences; seminary

curricula; pastoral care guides; and educational programs. (See pp. 11-12)

The purpose of the meeting was to develop core

competencies that would enable clergy and other

pastoral ministers to break through the wall of

silence, and to encourage faith communities to

become actively involved in the effort to reduce

alcoholism and drug dependence and mitigate

their impact on families and children.
iii

Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers In Addressing

Alcohol and Drug Dependence and the Impact On Family Members

These competencies are presented as a specific guide to the core knowledge, attitudes, and

skills essential to the ability of clergy and pastoral ministers to meet the needs of persons

with alcohol or drug dependence and their family members.

1. Be aware of the:

· Generally accepted definition of alcohol and drug dependence

· Societal stigma attached to alcohol and drug dependence

2. Be knowledgeable about the:

· Signs of alcohol and drug dependence

· Characteristics of withdrawal

· Effects on the individual and the family

· Characteristics of the stages of recovery

3. Be aware that possible indicators of the disease may include, among others: marital conflict, family

violence (physical, emotional, and verbal), suicide, hospitalization, or encounters with the criminal

justice system.

4. Understand that addiction erodes and blocks religious and spiritual development; and be able to

effectively communicate the importance of spirituality and the practice of religion in recovery,

using the scripture, traditions, and rituals of the faith community.

5. Be aware of the potential benefits of early intervention to the:

· Addicted person

· Family system

· Affected children

6. Be aware of appropriate pastoral interactions with the:

· Addicted person

· Family system

· Affected children

7. Be able to communicate and sustain:

· An appropriate level of concern

· Messages of hope and caring

8. Be familiar with and utilize available community resources to ensure a continuum of care for the:

· Addicted person

· Family system

· Affected children

9. Have a general knowledge of and, where possible, exposure to:

· The 12-step programs – AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Alateen, A.C.O.A., etc.

· Other groups

10. Be able to acknowledge and address values, issues, and attitudes regarding alcohol and drug use

and dependence in:

· Oneself

· One’s own family

11. Be able to shape, form, and educate a caring congregation that welcomes and supports persons

and families affected by alcohol and drug dependence.

12. Be aware of how prevention strategies can benefit the larger community.

1

Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral

Ministers in Addressing Alcohol and Drug

Dependence and the Impact on Family Members

Report of an Expert Consensus Panel Meeting

Purpose and Scope of the Clergy

Training Project

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services,

joined with both the Johnson Institute (JI)

and the National Association for Children of

Alcoholics (NACoA) to explore ways in

which the faith community can help address

both the problems of alcoholism and drug

dependence and the harmful impact these

substance use disorders have on children

and families. As part of that effort, the

organizations sought to identify ways in

which the topic could be incorporated into

the education and training of clergy –

ministers, priests, rabbis, deacons, elders,

and pastoral ministers, such as lay ministers,

religious sisters, among others.

To that end, in November 2001, SAMHSA

supported a meeting of an expert panel on

seminary education that was charged with

the job of undertaking an assessment of the

state of seminary training on the subjects of

alcohol and drug use and dependence. The

panel found that seminary curricula and

training programs vary extensively across

the country, and few offer specific instruction focused on working with parishioners

troubled with alcohol or drug use. With

those findings, the panel recommended the

development and implementation of a set of

“core competencies” – basic knowledge and

skills clergy need to help individuals and

their families, who also are profoundly

affected, recover from alcohol or drug use

and dependence.

They concluded that a clergy training and

curriculum development project was warranted, and delineated a series of steps that

should be taken to carry it forward. The first

of those steps was to bring faith leaders

together specifically to delineate those “core

competencies.” They recommended that the

core competencies” reflect the scope and

limits of the typical pastoral relationship and

be in accord with the spiritual and social

goals of such a relationship. The goal: to

enable clergy and other pastoral ministers to

break through the wall of silence that surrounds alcohol and drug dependence, and to

become involved actively in efforts to combat substance abuse and to mitigate its

damaging effects on families and children.

(For more detail, see Appendix B, Executive

Summary, pp 21-23.)

Charge to the 2003 Expert

Consensus Panel

To help develop those core competencies,

SAMHSA, again joined by the National

Association for Children of Alcoholics and

the Johnson Institute, convened a more

broadly based panel meeting in Washington,
2

DC, on February 26-27, 2003. Panelists

represented diverse religious perspectives,

levels of leadership, and working experience

with congregations of diverse socioeconomic

status, ethnicity, urban and rural location,

and geographical region. This report details

both the meeting participants’ deliberations

and the core competencies they recommended for adoption in clerical training and

continuing education.

The members of this panel, as the group

before them, recognized that the opportunities for clergy to engage in alcohol and drug

abuse prevention and intervention vary

based on the nature of role of the clergy and

the nature of the congregation. For example,

in a small congregation a pastor might have

greater opportunities for one-on-one counseling than in a larger congregation. That

pastor, thus, would be helped by a set of

competencies related to alcohol and substance abuse counseling for both the affected individual and members of the family.

Clergy also can benefit from knowledge

about locally available Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Al-Anon and other 12-step

support programs, as well as about others in

the community who are competent about

addiction, intervention, and available supportive services. In contrast, a member of

the clergy affiliated with a large congregation might need to develop other strategies

to find help for individuals or to empower

others to help, either on a paid or volunteer

basis. Work with children and youth requires

yet another set of special skills.

Accordingly, the panelists agreed that the

core competencies developed should provide

a general framework that incorporates the

basic scope of knowledge and skills all

clergy and other pastoral ministers need.

This core set then could be expanded to

apply more directly to differing pastoral

situations.

Definitions and Scope of the

Discussion

In this document, the term “clergy” is a

general term that includes individuals

trained for and “called to” or “ordained for”

a leadership role in their faith organizations.

The term includes, but is not limited to,

priests, ministers, deacons, rabbis, elders,

and imams. At the same time, many religious denominations also train and call

individuals – among them, religious sisters,

lay ministers and nuns – to fill other leadership and supportive religious roles. In this

report, those other individuals are referred

to as “other pastoral ministers.” Whatever

their role, clergy and pastoral ministers

often have opportunities to teach or counsel

individuals about alcoholism and drug

dependence or to conduct educational

programs for adults and youth. The training

and education described in this report,

therefore, refers to both clergy and other

pastoral ministers.

The term “pastoral” is used to describe the

religious or spiritual care of individuals.

Leaders of congregations and supportive

personnel perform pastoral functions when

they counsel individuals or families, visit the

sick and disabled, or, in a more general way,

sustain religious or spiritual relationships

with members of their congregations or

other recipients of their ministry. The term

also may be applied to functions that do not

take place on a one-to-one basis, preaching,

conduct of religious education classes, and

the development of mutual assistance

programs by lay congregants. The term

“congregation” refers to a local, specific
3

religious institution – a particular church,

synagogue, temple, or mosque, whether or

not there is a specific, permanent physical

edifice associated with the institution.

The overarching focus of the discussion

undertaken and recommendations for the

content of a core curriculum for clergy and

other pastoral ministers by meeting participants was defined specifically as alcohol and

drug dependence and the impact on affected

individuals and all family members. Many of

the principles and practical suggestions

recommended by meeting participants may

have application in relation to other addictive behaviors as well.

Preparatory Activities

Program participants received a number of

materials in advance of the February 2003

meeting, specifically:

• The report summarizing the November

14-15, 2001 expert panel meeting

convened by SAMHSA, NACoA and JI.

• A document summarizing the findings of

a similar project, Core Competencies for

Involvement of Health Care Providers in

the Care of Children and Adolescents in

Families Affected by Substance Abuse.

• Latcovich, MA. The clergyperson and the

fifth step, in Spirituality and Chemical

Dependency, Robert J. Kus (ed.). New

York: The Haworth Press, Inc.,1995.

• Gallagher, FA. Related to Alcoholism and

Its Impact on Family Members: Core

Competencies Needed by All Clergy and

Any Pastoral Minister, a draft core

competencies discussion document

prepared specifically for the meeting.

• National Association for Children of

Alcoholics. Core Competencies for Clergy

and Pastoral Ministers in Addressing

Alcoholism/Addiction and the Impact on

Family Members, a draft discussion

document prepared with assistance from

physicians who participated in the

development of core competencies for

health care providers.

• National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA). So Help Me God:

Substance Abuse, Religion and Spirituality. New York: Columbia University,

November 2001.

Panel members were asked to review the

documents and be prepared to work to

achieve consensus on a set of core competencies for clergy and other pastoral ministers.

Establishing the Context of

Deliberations

Acting as meeting facilitator, Jeannette L.

Johnson, Ph.D., Director of the Research

Center on Children and Youth at the State

University of New York at Buffalo, proposed

an initial framework for the process of

deliberations. She observed that:

• Dependence on alcohol and drugs is our

most serious national public health

problem, affecting millions of individuals

and their families. It is prevalent in all

socio-economic sectors, regions of the

country, and ethnic and social groups.

• Most individuals who abuse alcohol or

drugs are productive members of society,

not the stereotypical “street drunk.”
4

• Because they offer spiritual support to

individuals and communities, faith

communities are ideally situated to help

solve the problem, through prevention,

intervention, and recovery support.

• A “wall of silence” still stands between

the faith community and people with

alcohol and drug abuse and dependence,

preventing faith communities from

availing themselves of opportunities to

help.

The meeting was to develop core competencies that would enable clergy and other

pastoral ministers to break through that wall

of silence and encourage them to become

actively involved in the effort to reduce

alcoholism and drug dependence and to

mitigate its impact on families and children.

Meeting participants received information

from a broad array of presentations designed to reinforce their appreciation of the

important role to be played by the faith

community in responding to alcohol and

drug abuse issues in the work of their

ministries.

Sis Wenger, Executive Director, NACoA,

reviewed the key findings of the report by

the Center on Addiction and Substance

Abuse, So Help Me God: Substance Abuse,

Religion and Spirituality. She called attention

to two significant “disconnects” that affect

responses to addiction. Clergy often experience a disconnect between their awareness

of alcoholism/addiction as a problem and

the training and skills they have been given

to address the problem. Health care providers exhibit a different disconnect:between

knowledge and action. While they acknowledge that religion and spirituality can be

important assets in the process of recovery

from alcoholism and drug dependence, they

generally do not emphasize the importance of

faith in healing.

In an overview of the science of alcohol and

drug addiction treatment, Substance Abuse

Treatment: What Is It? Why Does It Seem

Ineffective?, A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D.,

Director, Treatment Research Institute,

University of Pennsylvania, called attention

to unrealistic expectations and misconceptions that lead to the misuse or underuse of

existing community-based treatment resources. In his view, treatment is a long-term

process, not a single “place, pill, therapy, or

religion.” The real work of recovery includes

helping an individual reintegrate him- or

herself into the community, the success of

which rests frequently on the availability of

community support.

Dr. McLellan asked meeting participants to

recognize the striking parallels between

alcoholism and drug dependence and other

chronic, debilitating illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, and asthma, and to acknowledge that treatment of each of these

chronic conditions must include elements

that address both individual behavior and

the community environment. He advocated

the establishment of clerical training and

education that would enable clergy and

other pastoral ministers to present appropriate information to their congregations, to

recognize the early warning signs of chemical dependence in individuals, to motivate

those individuals to accept treatment, to

refer them to treatment, and to organize

congregational support for those in recovery

and their families.
5

Sis Wenger made a presentation on the

effects of alcohol and drug dependence on

the family, titled Family Impact-Family

Intervention. She described the family

dynamics of alcoholism and drug dependence and their impact on the emotional

development of children in those families.

She pointed out that, at times, these family

dynamics play out in faith systems and

congregations, impeding their capacity to

assist those affected in a meaningful way.

She asked the panel to promote the development of faith community environments in

which all members of families affected by

addiction know that their pastors understand what they are experiencing, care about

them, are available to them, can help them

find emotional and physical safety, and can

support their healing and spiritual growth.

Rev. Mark A. Latcovich, Ph.D., Vice President, Vice Rector, and Academic Dean, Saint

Mary’s Seminary and Graduate School of

Theology, Cleveland, Ohio, in a presentation

titled Spiritual Components and Signposts,

discussed the spiritual dimension of alcohol

and drug dependence. He called substance

dependence a “systematic deconstruction” of

the personality, characterized by a loss of

interest in life, feelings of guilt and selfresentment, and anger toward self, others,

and God. He suggested that clergy and other

pastoral ministers can contribute to individual and family recovery by helping them

address the fundamental meaning of their

lives and reshape how they think about God

by leading them through a process of reconciliation, personal reformation, and reintegration into the community.

In the dinner address, Hoover Adger, Jr.,

M.D., M.P.H., Director of Adolescent Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital School of

Medicine, recalled incidents from his pediatric practice that crystallized for him the

harmful impact of parental alcoholism and

drug dependence on the health of their

children. He described how a consortium of

major primary health care associations with

members specializing in the care of children

and families developed a set of core competencies related to the care of children and

adolescents in families affected by alcoholism and drug dependence. Dr. Adger discussed the work of the Association for

Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) both to adopt the

core competencies and develop a training

program for primary health care professionals specifically on addiction and its impact

on children and families. He called upon

meeting participants to embark upon a

similar project to benefit those in faith

communities.

Panelists’ Reflections on the

Potential for Change

In response to the presentations that opened

the meeting, participants immediately

undertook the deliberative process of identifying the elements of core competencies for

the training and education of clergy and

other pastoral ministers focusing on alcohol

and drug abuse and dependence and their

impact of affected individuals and their

family members. The first step was to identify and respond to misconceptions and

negative attitudes that might need to be

overcome before either core competencies or

relevant curricula could be adopted routinely in training and education programs

for members of the faith community.

Several participants reflected on the historical failures of faith communities to focus any

attention on the issues of alcohol and drug
6

dependence. They observed that by heaping

shame or threats of God’s punishment on

those struggling with alcohol or drug dependence or addiction, the religious community

– and its congregation – actually may be

driving individuals in need and their families

away from a significant source of comfort,

help, and hope. Moreover, when it is the

member of the clergy who suffers from

alcoholism or drug dependence, the unhealthy systemic impact is even more deeply

experienced within the organization. One

panelist urged the clergy to help substitute

messages of hope based on the proven

efficacy of treatment, the demonstrated

reality of recovery, and the role of spirituality in sustaining recovery for negative

attitudes toward alcoholism and drug

dependence. Another noted that, while the

churches are imperfect institutions, members

of the clergy can and should lead them to

become loving communities.

Dr. Sheila B. Blume, M.D., reminded participants of Dr. McLellan’s comment about the

widespread, mistaken, belief that treatment

is ineffective. She spoke of a mythical

treatment facility – “Nonesuch Detox” – in

which a small number of patients are grossly

over-represented in the facility’s caseload at

any one time. They represent individuals

who repeatedly fail at treatment. To the

casual observer, the incorrect impression is

left that alcohol and drug dependence are

difficult to treat, if not impossible, despite

significant research findings and clinical

experience to the contrary.

Identifying the Multiple Tasks of

Pastoral Care

The next step for participants was to define

and articulate the range of opportunities the

clergy has to help. They agreed that a

number of interrelated functions provide

clergy and other pastoral ministers with a

host of ways in which the issue of alcohol

and drug dependence can be broached.

Thus, a major clerical responsibility is to

comfort and support individuals – a task

accomplished in different ways, based on the

nature, size and character of the individual

congregations. In smaller and more cohesive

institutions, pastors often develop long-term,

personal relationships with individual

members of their congregations. In larger

religious congregations, they or their assistants usually are available for individual

counseling. Members of the clergy also

typically visit the sick in hospitals and at

home, and perform weddings, funerals, and

other observances of life’s milestones.

However, the clergy’s role is not limited to

serving individuals. They also work to create

a community of mutual caring, making

individual congregants aware of the importance of serving others both within the

congregation and beyond in the outside

community, alerting them to the needs of

others as they arise, and developing mutual

aid programs. The clergy also serve as

educators. This “prophetic” function involves

messages to the congregation and the larger

community about issues of importance to

spiritual well-being. The messages conveyed

generally are guided by the text and liturgy

of the particular faith tradition.

Participants agreed that each role offers the

clergy and other pastoral ministers unique,

unparalleled opportunities to address problems of alcohol and drug dependence and

their impact on the individual, affected

family members and friends, and the community at large.
7

Caring for and Supporting

Individuals and Families

A key message conveyed by meeting participants was that a member of the clergy

should establish an atmosphere in which

individuals – whether experiencing drug or

alcohol dependence or a family member of

such a person – are encouraged to acknowledge the problem and seek help. When they

do come forward, they should find compassion, acceptance, and helpful resources to

lead them to the help they need and, ultimately, to recovery. Clergy and other pastoral ministers should listen sympathetically

and encourage both the individual and

family to embark on the journey of recovery.

A knowledgeable, supportive individual or

group within the congregation should be

available to the affected individuals and

family members seeking recovery, every step

of the way.

At the same time, members of the clergy

should know that the supportive environment they create does not preclude the

potential for initial backlash or denial by the

affected individuals and family. Clergy

members should not be surprised if either

happens and should be prepared to continue

a supportive and encouraging role that

promotes movement toward recovery.

Participants emphasized that the role of the

clergy in addressing alcohol and drug

dependence is not and cannot be simply a

matter of “referring out” to treatment. While

referrals may be appropriate, alone they are

insufficient. The clergy or other pastoral

minister should ensure that appropriate

support continues to be available to the

individual and family members, and should

take an active role in reintegrating the

individual and family members into the faith

community during the process of recovery.

Participants also pointed out that the ability

to make referrals to the most appropriate

treatment or to peer support groups is not a

simple task. Clergy must find ways to help

the individual and family find treatment

resource that meet their individual needs

and means. To do so, he or she must have

contact with individuals knowledgeable

about available programs and must be

sufficiently aware of the circumstances of

the affected individual and family to help

assure a good match.

A consistent message by participants was

that children in families experiencing alcohol or drug abuse or dependence need

attention. They may be growing up in homes

in which the problems are either denied or

covered up; these children need to have

their experiences validated. They also need

safe, reliable adults in whom to confide and

age-appropriate support services to meet

their special needs. Research evidence

continues to suggest that chronically highstress family environments are a risk factor

for potential substance abuse, and both

mental and physical health problems in

children. They need early interventions from

nurturing, supportive individuals and institutions to help change the risk equation.

There is documentation that just being

associated with the activities of a faith

community serves as a protective factor for

children living in high-risk environments.

One participant further noted that families

with no history of alcoholism or drug dependence, but who have children dependent on

or addicted to alcohol or drugs, also need

the support and education that could be

provided by faith community leaders.
8

Creating Caring Communities and

Practices of Caring

The creation of community is a key pastoral

task. The pastor nurtures the attitudes and

commitments by congregants that make

possible the development of programs of

mutual support. Some congregations are

developing specific programs focused on

addiction to and dependence on alcohol and

drugs. Faith Partners in Austin, Texas, is one

example of a program doing just that.

Moreover, using a lay “congregational team”

approach, it is expanding the concept nationwide. One participant noted that, while

the core competencies need to be implemented across cultures and denominations,

each faith community also should develop

and initiate its own particular implementation strategies, attuned to local needs and

circumstances.

Participants pointed out that, to be successful, pastors need to be attuned to their

congregations. They need to know how the

social networks operate: how strong the

families are, what extended family resources

exist, and how the different ages interact.

With that knowledge, clergy can build on

these natural social resources to bring

support to persons with alcohol and drug

dependence and their families.

The Clergy’s Prophetic Role

Members of the clergy lead their congregations by preaching and teaching. They can

use sermons, classes for youth and adults,

newsletter articles, and similar activities to

help their congregants understand the basic

mechanisms of drug dependence and addiction, and to influence attitudes toward the

problem and the individuals and families

that experience its effects.

Because the boundaries between the faith

community and the surrounding civic community are not impermeable, this educational process is able to move outward,

beyond the individual congregation. Members of the clergy often have the opportunity

to take part directly in community affairs

and have the capacity to reach and educate

decision makers on the topics of alcoholism

and drug use. In addition, they can work

indirectly through the members of their

congregation to change the norms of communities in which they live and work.

However, as several participants pointed out,

this contextual/communal vision of the

church as a voice and change-agent within

the larger community is new and is not a

reality in all places. Some faith communities

remain insular, reactive to outside events

rather than proactive and engaged in the

experience of the larger lay community in

which the congregation exists. Clergy and

other pastoral ministers may need to proceed gently as they introduce their congregations to the idea of taking on a more

public, community-focused role.

The Clergy’s Base of Knowledge

and Skills

Participants sought to summarize the knowledge and skills clergy and other pastoral

ministers need to integrate work on alcohol

and drug dependence and its impact on

families into each of these roles. They

recognized that, ordinarily, a member of the

clergy whose job is to shepherd a congregation would not be an expert in addiction

treatment. However, participants agreed that

such an individual definitely should be

expected to know basic facts about alcohol

and drug dependence, and have a solid
9

understanding of how these problems affect

the individual, family members, and their

faith community. Clergy and pastoral ministers also should be cognizant of available

resources for treatment and recovery both

within the congregation and the larger

community; they should be able to connect

people with needed services and treatment

resources.

Participants suggested that, in addition to

understanding the neurological mechanisms

of alcohol and drug dependence, clergy and

other pastoral ministers also should understand the behavioral manifestations of

substance use, abuse and dependence. In

that way, they can be alert to observable signs

of substance dependence, enabling them to

help identify and respond to the problem

when it surfaces in the congregation. They

should know how alcohol and drugs affect

cognitive functioning and how it can exacerbate already present problem behaviors –

including emotional disturbances in youth

and mental illnesses in adults.

They should be aware of the purpose alcohol

or drugs may have in the life of a dependent

individual. For some, substance use may

have begun in an effort to get temporary

relief from anxiety; for others it might be

used to “self-medicate” psychic and spiritual

pain; for others it might be perceived as

easing social situations. Yet, for all of them,

alcohol or drug dependence actually causes

greater pain not only for the individual, but

also for the family over the long term.

Clergy and other pastoral ministers also

should be aware of the process of withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, what typically

occurs during withdrawal; and they should

be equipped with knowledge about typical

patterns of relapse and recovery, including

the distinction between initial abstinence

and recovery. They can better help their

congregants by developing a clear appreciation of why addiction can be so difficult to

overcome.

Knowledge is equally critical about the

various environmental harms caused by

addiction, including the suffering it inflicts

in the home on spouses and children and the

difficulties it creates in the workplace. A

working knowledge of the history of alcoholism and drug dependence, and of the

churches’ historical reactions to the problem,

would also be useful. Clergy need to know

how their own denominations and immediate congregation manage it – for better or

for worse – and need to know the position of

their superiors.

One participant suggested that religious

leaders need to be able to articulate their

“theological anthropology;” that is, to

explain in religious terms, the negative

effects that addictions have on spirituality.

They also need to be able to draw upon the

texts and liturgical practices of their faith to

articulate these insights.

Other panelists suggested that clergy should

be able to understand how alcoholism and

drug dependence actually are experienced

by the individual, and how this experience is

mirrored in family members. It seemed

particularly important to try to understand

the individual’s and family member’s state of

mind that includes confusion about the

addiction itself, conflicts of values, faulty

memory, a vast array of uncomfortable

feelings, and a set of counterproductive

coping tactics or survival strategies; in
10

summary, a general state of being increasingly out of touch with reality.

Last, one participant offered a set of intervention action steps that would demonstrate

mastery of the core competencies. With

training to work with their congregants and

families struggling with alcohol or drug

dependence, clergy and other pastoral

ministers would:

• Show up. They would be alert to “windows of opportunity” for contact, assessment, intervention and treatment.

• Be dressed. They would be “prepared

internally” with necessary information,

resources, and teaching tools.

• Get through the door. They would know

how to establish effective healing relationships with those affected by addiction.

• Stay in the boat. They would do more

than hand people off to treatment; they

would establish therapeutic alliances

with professionals, congregational

caregivers, and the affected individuals

and their families.

• Know when to leave. They would respect

appropriate boundaries and know when to

bring their involvement to a conclusion.

It was suggested that these five steps could

serve as a preamble to the twelve core competencies identified and delineated by the

meeting participants, or alternatively as an

educational tool to illustrate their application.

The Importance of Self-Reflection

Participants suggested that, in order to be

successful in fulfilling their multiple roles,

clergy and other pastoral ministers must

engage in self-reflection. It has been documented that clergy, too, may have alcoholism in their own families and, as others,

should acknowledge and deal their own

wounds. They also must be willing to confront any personal issues related to their

own use of alcohol or drugs.

The Importance of Twelve-Step

Programs

Throughout the meeting, participants affirmed the value of Twelve-Step programs,

such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and

Alateen, as critical elements of the long-term

process of recovery for both individuals and

their families. One participant reflected that,

in his experience as pastor of a large, urban

congregation, individuals who have attained

sobriety over an extended period of time

through programs such as these, have

proven to be a rich resource when working

with other individuals and families in the

congregation who are suffering from addiction. Yet, all too often, clergy have not taken

advantage of these resources, and generally

do not make referrals to Twelve-Step programs. Claire Ricewasser, Associate Director

of Public Outreach, Al-Anon, reported that

few Al-Anon members were referred to the

organization initially by clergy. However, she

noted that a substantial proportion (36

percent of Al-Anon members and 20 percent

of Alateen members in 1999) had received

religious or spiritual counseling before

coming to the program. She expressed hope

that publication and adoption of the core

competencies would help better alert clergy

to the value and availability of Twelve-Step

support groups.
11

Achieving Consensus

Participants reviewed each of the draft core

competencies presented to them at the start of

the meeting, discussed them at length, made

revisions, and voted on each item individually.

They then developed several additional

competencies, using the same process. Then

they approved the list as a whole. (See p. 13)

Recommendations: Next Steps

Having delineated 12 core competencies for

clergy and other pastoral ministers, meeting

participants suggested both a series of

strategies to communicate those competencies to organizations that might use and

endorse them, and delineated a set of tools

to be developed to help promote the integration of the core competencies into the

training of present and future religious

leaders. Their ideas build on a series of

suggestions made by the 1991 meeting.

(See Appendix B, “Executive Summary and

Recommendations for Next Steps,” and

Appendix C, “Selective Tools for Seminary

Training”.)

Participants recommended that a public

awareness campaign be developed with an

interdenominational voice to publicize the

core competencies to religious, professional,

and lay audiences in inviting language.

Among other strategies, it could include –

• Placing articles in professional journals

and in the national popular press about

the core competencies and their importance to practicing clergy and other

pastoral ministers;

• Developing a press release announcing

the achievement of consensus with

respect to the core competencies;

• Obtaining endorsements from leading

denominations and from professional

and advocacy organizations. Participants

could provide lists of the organizations

with which they are affiliated, take the

core competencies to those organizations, and ask them to endorse or respond to them.

• Making presentations at denominational

general assemblies, annual conferences,

and regional gatherings, explaining the

core competencies, and discussing their

implications for seminary training and

continuing education.

Participants also suggested developing the

following educational tools based on the

core competencies:

• A continuing education curriculum

addressing alcohol and drug dependence

and their impact on families, coupled

with appropriate responses from the

faith community. This curriculum would

include a “train the trainers” component.

• A pastoral care outline, lending advice to

clergy and other pastoral ministers on

when, how, and to what extent to intervene with alcohol or drug dependent

individuals and their families, how to

identify and evaluate community resources, and how to help reintegrate

recovering individuals into the community.

• A preaching and teaching guide, with

sample sermons and appropriate religious texts.

• A bibliography of resources on addiction

and spirituality.
12

Meeting participants recommended the

potential development of several educational programs:

• An interdenominational summer training

program on the subject for seminary

students and pastors. The Hebrew

College in Boston already conducts such

a session for Jewish students and clergy;

the course could be given more frequently if its student base were expanded to include clergy from other

denominations.

• Training events sponsored by individual

seminaries for practicing clergy, including efforts to encourage self-awareness

on the issues of alcoholism and drug

dependence.

Finally, meeting participants affirmed the

1991 recommendation that a program of

“Mentors” and “Fellows” be established to

integrate training on alcohol and drug

dependence into seminary programs, enabling clergy in training to acquire the

knowledge and skills implicit in the core

competencies. For each major denomination,

a “Mentor” would be identified to coordinate

the project within that denomination by

guiding professors in their efforts to develop

programs or courses. A “Fellow” would be

identified in each seminary, responsible for

developing and implementing such a program. Multi-year stipends would be considered for seminaries, Mentors, and Fellows.
13

Core Competencies for Clergy and Other Pastoral Ministers In Addressing

Alcohol and Drug Dependence and the Impact On Family Members

These competencies are presented as a specific guide to the core knowledge, attitudes, and

skills essential to the ability of clergy and pastoral ministers to meet the needs of persons

with alcohol or drug dependence and their family members.

1. Be aware of the:

· Generally accepted definition of alcohol and drug dependence

· Societal stigma attached to alcohol and drug dependence

2. Be knowledgeable about the:

· Signs of alcohol and drug dependence

· Characteristics of withdrawal

· Effects on the individual and the family

· Characteristics of the stages of recovery

3. Be aware that possible indicators of the disease may include, among others: marital conflict, family

violence (physical, emotional, and verbal), suicide, hospitalization, or encounters with the criminal

justice system.

4. Understand that addiction erodes and blocks religious and spiritual development; and be able to

effectively communicate the importance of spirituality and the practice of religion in recovery,

using the scripture, traditions, and rituals of the faith community.

5. Be aware of the potential benefits of early intervention to the:

· Addicted person

· Family system

· Affected children

6. Be aware of appropriate pastoral interactions with the:

· Addicted person

· Family system

· Affected children

7. Be able to communicate and sustain:

· An appropriate level of concern

· Messages of hope and caring

8. Be familiar with and utilize available community resources to ensure a continuum of care for the:

· Addicted person

· Family system

· Affected children

9. Have a general knowledge of and, where possible, exposure to:

· The 12-step programs – AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, Alateen, A.C.O.A., etc.

· Other groups

10. Be able to acknowledge and address values, issues, and attitudes regarding alcohol and drug use

and dependence in:

· Oneself

· One’s own family

11. Be able to shape, form, and educate a caring congregation that welcomes and supports persons

and families affected by alcohol and drug dependence.

12. Be aware of how prevention strategies can benefit the larger community.

15

APPENDIX A

Expert Panel Participants

Advisors

Taha Jabir Alalwani, Ph.D.

President

The Graduate School of Islamic and

 Social Sciences

750-A Miller Drive, S.E.

Leesburg, Virginia 20175

Rev. Robert Albers, Ph.D.

Pastor

Central Lutheran Church

333 S. 12th Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Daniel O. Aleshire, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Association of Theological Schools

10 Summit Park Drive

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15275-1103

Joseph A. Califano, Jr.

Chairman

National Center on Addiction and Substance

 Abuse at Columbia University

633 Third Avenue, 19th Floor

New York, New York 10017-6706

David I. Donovan, S.J., D.Min.

Director of Formation

New England Province, Society of Jesus

Back Bay Annex

P.O. Box 799

Boston, Massachusetts 02117-0799

Rev. Mark A. Latcovich, Ph.D.

Vice President, Vice Rector,

 and Academic Dean

St. Mary’s Seminary Graduate School of

 Theology

28700 Euclid Avenue

Wickliffe, Ohio 44092-2585

Rev. Vergel L. Lattimore, III, Ph.D.

Professor of Pastoral Care

Methodist Theological School in Ohio

3081 Columbus Pike

P.O. Box 8004

Delaware, Ohio 43015

Sister Katarina Schuth, O.F.M., Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor

St. Paul Seminary

2260 Summit Avenue

St. Paul, Minnesota 55105-1094

Rev. Dr. Teresa Snorton

Executive Director

Association for Clinical Pastoral Education

1549 Clairmont Road, Suite 103

Decatur, GA 30033-4611

Rev. C. Roy Woodruff, Ph.D.

Executive Director

American Association of Pastoral Counselors

9504 Lee Highway

Fairfax, Virginia 22031-2303
16

Attendees (* indicates presenters)

Hoover Adger, Jr., M.D., M.P.H.*

Director of Adolescent Medicine

Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine

600 N. Wolfe Street, Park 307

Baltimore, Maryland 21287-2530

Phone: 410-955-2910

Fax: 410-955-4079

e-mail: hadger@jhmi.edu

Rev. Robert Albers, Ph.D.

Pastor, Central Lutheran Church

333 S. 12th Street

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404

Phone: 612-870-4416

E-mail: ralbers@centralmpls.org

Rabbi Samuel Barth

Director, Rokem Institute

Rabbinic Consultant to JACS

496 12th Street

Brooklyn, New York 11215

Phone: 718-768-1636

Fax: 718-638-6204

E-mail: samuelbarth@cs.com

George R. Bloom

Vice President

Johnson Institute

10001 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 200

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305-1591

Phone: 952-582-2713

E-mail: grbloom@earthlink.net

Sheila B. Blume, M.D.

Clinical Professor of Psychiatry

State University of New York at Stony Brook

284 Greene Avenue

Sayville, New York 11782

Phone: 631-589-7853

E-mail: sheila_blume@post.harvard.edu

Rev. Patrick Casey

Pastor

St. Dominic and St. Patrick Parishes

4844 Trumbull

Detroit, MI 48208

Phone: 313-831-8790

Fax: 313-831-2965

e-mail: frppcasey@netscape.net

Rev. William M. Clements, Ph.D.

Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling

Claremont School of Theology

982 Northwestern Drive

Claremont, California 91711

Phone: 909-447-2528

E-mail: billclemen@aol.com

Mr. Darryl Colbert

Program Administrator

Catholic Charities

Substance Abuse Network

Archdiocese of Washington

924 G Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 202-772-4371

E-mail: colbertf@catholiccharitiesdc.org

Rev. Vincent Daily

1573 Cambridge Street, Apt. 222

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02108-4370

Phone: 617-491-0363

E-mail: vind71@hotmail.com

Rev. F. Anthony Gallagher

Pastor, St. Patrick’s Church, Providence

14010 U.S. Route 24 West

Grand Rapids, Ohio 43522-9678

Phone: 419-832-5215

Fax: 419-832-4075

E-mail: spgr@totalink.net
17

Patricia K. Gleich, Ed.S.

Associate Director for Health Ministries

Presbyterian Church USA

100 Witherspoon Street

Louisville, Kentucky 40202

Phone: 502-569-5793

E-mail: pgleich@ctr.pcusa.org

Richard L. Gorsuch, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Fuller Theological Seminary

135 North Oakland Avenue

Pasadena, California 91182

Phone: 626-584-5527

E-mail: rgorsuch@fuller.edu

Reverend Hal T. Henderson, Sr.

Pastor

Congress Heights United Methodist Church

421 Alabama Ave., S.E.

P.O. Box 54318

Washington, DC 20032

Phone: 202-562-0600

Fax: 202-562-1413

Ronald E. Hopson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Religion

Howard University School of Divinity

1400 Shepherd Street, N.E.

Washington, DC 20017

Phone: 202-806-0500; 0724

Fax: 202-806-0711

E-mail: Rhopson@howard.edu

Kim Kirby, Ph.D.

Director, Behavioral Interventions

Treatment Research Institute

University of Pennsylvania

150 South Independence Mall West

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106-3475

Phone: 215-399-0980

Fax: 215-399-0987

E-mail: kkirby@tresearch.org

Rev. Mark Latcovich, Ph.D.*

Vice President, Vice Rector,

 and Academic Dean

St. Mary’s Seminary Graduate School of

 Theology

28700 Euclid Avenue

Wickliffe, Ohio 44092-2585

Phone: 1-440-943-7600

Fax: 1-440-943-7577

E-mail: mal@dioceseofcleveland.org

Rev. Vergel L. Lattimore, III, Ph.D.

Professor of Pastoral Care

Methodist Theological School in Ohio

3081 Columbus Pike

P.O. Box 8004

Delaware, Ohio 43015

Phone: 740-362-3137

Fax: 740-362-3381

E-mail: vlattimore@mtso.edu

A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D.*

Director

Treatment Research Institute

University of Pennsylvania

150 South Independence Mall West

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106-3475

Phone: 215-399-0980

Fax: 215-399-0987

E-mail: tmclellan@tresearch.org

Keith G. Meador, M.D., Th.M., M.P.H.

Professor, Pastoral Theology and Medicine

Duke University Divinity School

Box 90967

Durham NC 27708-0967

Phone: 919- 660-3488

E-mail: keith.meador@duke.edu
18

The Right Reverend Robert O. Miller

Episcopal Bishop of Alabama (ret.)

2104 Vestavia Lake Drive

Birmingham, Alabama 35216

Phone: 205-823-4200

Fax: 205-715-2066

Michael Morton

Director of Education

Guest House

P.O. Box 420

Lake Orion, Michigan 48361

Phone: 800-626-6910

E-mail: mpjm@worldnet.att.net

Fred D. Smith, Jr., Ph.D.

Assoc. Professor of Christian Education and

 Youth Ministry

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

616 North Highland Avenue

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15206-2596

Phone: 412-362-5610 ext. 2162

Fax: 412-363-3260

E-mail: fsmith@pts.edu

Rev. Dr. Fred L. Smoot, Ph.D.

Emory Clergy Care

3700 Crestwood Parkway, Suite 270

Duluth, Georgia 30096

Phone: 678-924-9260

Fax: 678-924-9265

E-mail: fred_smoot@emoryhealthcare.org

Richard M. Wallace, Jr., Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Pastoral Care and Counseling

Luther Seminary

2480 Como Avenue

St. Paul, Minnesota 55108

Phone: 651-641-3220

Fax: 651-641-3354

E-mail: rwallace@luthersem.edu

Rev. C. Roy Woodruff, Ph.D.

Executive Director

American Association of Pastoral Counselors

9504 Lee Highway

Fairfax, Virginia 22031-2303

Phone: 703-385-6967

E-mail: roy@aapc.org

Observer

Claire Ricewasser

Associate Director of Public Outreach

Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.

1600 Corporate Landing Parkway

Virginia Beach, Virginia 23454-5617

Phone: 757-563-1600, ext. 1675

Fax: 757-563-1655

E-mail: wso@al-anon.org

Meeting Facilitator

Jeannette L. Johnson, Ph.D.*

Director

Research Center on Children and Youth

School of Social Work

State University of New York at Buffalo

685 Baldy Hall

Buffalo, New York 14260-1050

Phone: 716-645-3381, ext. 267

Fax: 716-645-3456

E-mail: jj44@acsu.buffalo.edu

Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA)

Clifton Mitchell

Special Expert to the Director

Coordinator, Faith and Community

 Partners Initiative

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment

Rockwall II, Suite 744

5600 Fishers Lane

Rockville, Maryland 20857

Phone: 301-443-8804

Fax: 301-443-3543

E-mail: cmitchel@samhsa.gov
19

Johnson Institute

Johnny Allem

President

Johnson Institute

1273 National Press Building

529 14th Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20045

Phone: 202-662-7104

Fax: 202-662-7106

E-mail: johnnyallem@johnsoninstitute.org

George R. Bloom

Vice President

Johnson Institute

10001 Wayzata Blvd., Suite 200

Minnetonka, Minnesota 55305-1591

Phone: 952-582-2713

E-mail: grbloom@earthlink.net

NACoA

Sis Wenger*

Executive Director

National Association for Children of Alcoholics

11426 Rockville Pike, Suite 100

Rockville, Maryland 20852

Phone: 1-888-55-4COAS

Fax: 301-468-0987

E-mail: nacoa@nacoa.org

Mary L. Gillilan, J.D.

Director of Special Projects

National Association for Children of Alcoholics

11426 Rockville Pike, Suite 100

Rockville, Maryland 20852

Phone: 1-888-55-4COAS

Fax: 301-468-0987

E-mail: mgillilan@nacoa.org

Marion M. Torchia, Ph.D.

Director of Communications

National Association for Children of Alcoholics

11426 Rockville Pike, Suite 100

Rockville, Maryland 20852

Phone: 1-888-55-4COAS

Fax: 301-468-0987

21

APPENDIX B

Substance Abuse and the Family:

Defining the Role of The Faith Community

Clergy Training and Curriculum Development

Report of an Expert Panel Meeting

November 14-15, 2001

Executive Summary and Recommendations for Next Steps

Purpose and Scope of the Meeting

As part of its ongoing effort to encourage the

faith community to address the problem of

chemical dependence and its harmful impact

on children and families, the Center for

Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) contracted with the Johnson Institute (JI) and

the National Association for Children of

Alcoholics (NACoA) to conduct an exploratory meeting of experts to consider the

training of religious leaders about these

issues. The meeting took place on November14-15 in Baltimore, Maryland. Participants agreed that the pervasiveness of

alcoholism and other drug addiction in our

society, and their deleterious effects, point to

a need for clergy equipped to deal with the

issue. They also agreed that communitybased religious institutions are ideally

situated to help chemically dependent

individuals and their families. And yet they

acknowledged that a wall of silence still

surrounds the problem, with the result that

individuals and families too often do not

seek help.

This meeting was a first step of a larger

project, the goal of which is to develop

educational strategies tailored to the particular situations of priests, ministers, rabbis,

imams, and other individuals responsible for

the religious nurture of individuals.

Assessment of Clergy Training on

Addiction and the Family

Participants reported that the offerings of

clergy training institutions in the United

States and Canada vary greatly, with some

institutions providing little specific instruction on addiction, while others offer complete curricula on the subject. However, they

agreed that existing programs deal primarily

with the disease in individuals, with little or

no training on helping children and other

family members. Several participants expressed the opinion that the environment in

seminaries today is not conducive to expanding the offerings in this field. They

called for a process of “curricular subversion,” using faculty members with a commitment to the subject as change agents.

Core Competencies and

Curriculum Development

Given the diversity of faith-based organizations, participants agreed that a multi-level
22

set of “core competencies” should be developed; that is, a listing of the basic knowledge and skills clergy need to help addicted

individuals and their families, categorized

according to the different opportunities of

clergy in different situations. As a preliminary step in developing these core competencies, participants attempted to identify

the elements of knowledge and skills that

should be imparted in each of the most

common “tracks” or categories of seminary

instruction: (1) generalist, pastoral (2)

specialist, professional master’s degree,

and(3) youth and children’s religious education. They listed educational tools and

resource guides that should be available for

each curriculum category.

The panel recommended that the Clergy

Training and Curriculum Development

project be carried forward, and suggested

steps that should be taken in order to do so.

Recommendations for Next Steps

The steps the panel recommended are only

provisional, because at each step new

knowledge will be obtained which may

suggest a modified plan. The next recommended steps are:

Phase II – Core Competencies

a. Convene a consensus panel of experts in

seminary training on issues of addiction

and the family, to develop the broad

outlines of a set of “core competencies”

for the clergy who will deal with these

issues.

b. Develop the set of “core competencies,”

with input from additional individuals

and from relevant professional organizations (e.g., organizations of pastoral

counselors and addiction prevention and

treatment professionals).

Phase III – Information Dissemination

Publish reports of the consensus panel’s

activities, and of the development of core

competencies, in clergy training journals and

other religious publications.

Phase IV – Development of

Curricula/Tools

a. Develop model curricula for the pastoral,

addiction counseling, and youth ministry

tracks.

b. Develop tools for such curricula; for

example, lists of resources, videos,

PowerPoint presentations, and fact

sheets.

c. Develop plans to distribute the curricula

and tools.

Phase V – Integration of Training

into Seminary Programs

a. Create a mechanism for integrating

training on these issues into seminary

programs, so that clergy will be enabled

to acquire the knowledge and skills

implicit in the core competencies. Such a

mechanism can take many forms, but

might include:

1. For each major denomination,

identify a “Mentor” to spearhead the

project within that denomination.

This individual would be an expert in

addiction studies or pastoral care

who could guide seminary professors

in their efforts to develop or implement programs and courses. For

large or decentralized denominations, several regional mentors might

be chosen.

2. Identify a “Fellow” in each of the 185

seminaries throughout the country—

a professor who would be responsible for the program and who would
23

teach the courses. This person would

be assisted, counseled, and guided

by the “Mentor” in 1) above.

b. Investigate potential funding sources,

including potential public-private partnerships to sustain this phase of clergy

development.

Phase VI – Post Ordination

Develop workshops, conferences or symposia to train clergy who are already ordained,

on addiction-related issues for the person

and family, especially the children. In many

denominations this phase of clergy development could be coordinated by the Fellows

and Mentors above. In other situations local

addiction counselors and other knowledgeable trainers could be utilized to implement

this phase.

25

APPENDIX C

Selected Tools for Seminary Training

Phase I panelists urged that teaching tools and resource guides be developed to facilitate

seminary training. They offered examples of the types of educational tools for the curriculum tracks.

TYPE OF TOOL Congregational (Pastoral)

and Counseling Tracks

Youth and Children Track

Resources for thinking

about alcohol and its

impact on children

and families

Internships

PowerPoint slides

Textbook

Internships

List of books

Videos

Handouts

Fact Sheets

Self evaluations/assessments

Case studies

Personal testimonies

Lecture notes

PowerPoint slides

Biblical and theological resources

AA- and Al-Anon-approved literature

Self-assessments, such as the CAGE

Congregational assessments

Local resources

Personal testimonies

Information on addiction and its

 impact on children, families,

 and spiritual well-being

Information on resilience

Information on child development

Alateen video about COAs

A video about family systems

Information about the early onset

 of drinking

Early onset tool

Best Practices

Volunteer training module

Statement about the impact of

 alcoholism and drug abuse on

 youth’s capacity for faith

Identification of drugs and their

 effects, by street names

Learning opportunities

Generic teaching tools

Textbook

List of books

Videos

Handouts

Fact Sheets

Self evaluations assessments

Case studies

Personal testimonies

Lecture notes

27

APPENDIX D

Selective Bibliography

Alcohol Problems in Intimate Relationships:

Identification and Intervention. American

Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse

and Alcoholism. February 2003. (Publication

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