Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Psychology

Advisor

Mark Arcuri

Abstract

This qualitative case study was an exploration of the HOPE organization’s communication strategies for supporting its congregants spiritually and emotionally before, during the peak, and after peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to understand the effectiveness of these efforts to inform communications strategies in the event of future disasters or other service disruptions given the importance of maintaining congregant’s spirituality levels, which are uniquely important for their mental health and sense of well-being. The conceptual framework was the Baldrige framework of excellence. Primary data were collected through semistructured interviews with five key leaders. Secondary data were gathered from financial records, archived videos, and organizational websites. Data were analyzed using manual thematic analysis and NVivo software to assign coding, create word clouds, and develop mind maps. Results showed that optimal practices included using production styles for online service delivery similar to those for in-person services before the pandemic. Also effective were early adoption of small group satellite meetings, hybrid spiritual services delivered in person and virtually, and digital messaging services. Appointing ambassadors and volunteers willing to conduct acts of kindness was another successful outreach approach. This study contributes to positive social change by providing recommendations for delivering virtual spiritual services that can maintain the mental health and well-being of congregants from which organizations can create protocols to help deliver efficient, effective strategic plans of their own.

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