Nia Imani Model of Care’s Impact on Homeless African-American Women

Abstract

This qualitative study assessed the impact of the Nia Imani model of care on homeless African-American women, many of whom abused drugs, experienced interpersonal violence, and faced other challenges when seeking to improve their lives and health. Nia Imani Family, Inc., is Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s, only long-term transitional living facility. Grounded in Black feminist thought, our study included focus group interviews with 39 women who had lived at Nia Imani, and successfully completed its programs; and one individual interview with the founder, who had also experienced homelessness (N=40). Themes were identified through thematic analysis, and included the following: crucial social support, learning self-worth, stability and structure, appreciation for strict rules, and importance of parenting and financial literacy classes. To ensure effective interventions, there is a need for nurses to understand how community-based and community-led programs, like Nia Imani, impact the health and well-being of African-American women, who have experienced homelessness.

Successful substance use disorder recovery in transitional housing: Perspectives from African American women.

“…This newfound self-efficacy was a catalyst for future continued recovery. With this power, they have the ability to break the cycle that many have been in, for multiple generations (Dressel et al, 2020). This opportunity was made possible, in part, due to the wraparound nature of substance use services in this program.…”

“…This qualitative study was informed by an instrumental case study design (de Vries, 2020). Detailed methods are available in Dressel et al (2020). Briefly, women ( n = 39) who were previous residents of Nia Imani Family, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s only long-term transitional living center serving homeless and at-risk African American mothers and their children, were invited via purposive sampling to participate in semistructured focus group interviews to share their experiences and overall perceptions of the program One additional interview was conducted with the founder and director of Nia Imani, who herself had previously experienced personal trauma and homelessness.…”

“…Addressed in another related manuscript, women felt that knowledge was power, which led to making more informed decisions (Dressel et al, 2020). Women discussed how they decided to discontinue using substances after learning about addiction as a disease and felt empowered with this knowledge to change the course of their lives (Dressel et al, 2020). Rather than creating a pathology-focused program, Nia Imani emphasized "knowledge is power," and knowing more about the science of addiction creates a program which does not place the blame on the individual and their personal worth as a human being.…”

“…Our previous work from which this study was developed highlighted the positive impact a long-term transitional housing program had for homeless African American women in recovery. By providing women with a sense of safety, stability, and structure, women were able to gain confidence and become self-sufficient while actively engaging in a recovery process (Dressel et al, 2020). The use of culturally sensitive interventions, development of supportive and trusting relationships between those in recovery and staff, as well as patient-centered, empowerment-focused program philosophies promote treatment engagement and retention (Dressel et al, 2020; Jones et al, 2015).…”

“…By providing women with a sense of safety, stability, and structure, women were able to gain confidence and become self-sufficient while actively engaging in a recovery process (Dressel et al, 2020). The use of culturally sensitive interventions, development of supportive and trusting relationships between those in recovery and staff, as well as patient-centered, empowerment-focused program philosophies promote treatment engagement and retention (Dressel et al, 2020; Jones et al, 2015). Understanding the specific challenges and barriers to substance misuse treatment access and utilization, as well as the facilitators for treatment success, will support the development of strategies addressing the specific needs of this population.…”