Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Community-Based Rehabilitation has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with family functioning. This growing interest reflects the recognition that community-based rehabilitation does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Borno State.

Borno State presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite a growing body of literature on community-based rehabilitation, there remains limited consensus on the precise nature of its relationship with family functioning, particularly within Borno State. Many organizations continue to make decisions about community-based rehabilitation without a clear, evidence-based understanding of how those decisions ultimately affect family functioning. This gap between practice and empirical understanding is the central problem this study seeks to address.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Community-Based Rehabilitation on family functioning in Borno State.
2. To assess the extent to which community-based rehabilitation influences family functioning within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with community-based rehabilitation in relation to family functioning.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing community-based rehabilitation in order to improve family functioning.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of community-based rehabilitation on family functioning in Borno State?
2. To what extent does community-based rehabilitation influence family functioning within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with community-based rehabilitation in relation to family functioning?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize community-based rehabilitation in order to improve family functioning?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around family functioning. For managers and practitioners within Borno State, the study provides practical insight into how community-based rehabilitation can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on social work by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

In terms of scope, this study confines itself to Borno State, focusing specifically on how community-based rehabilitation relates to family functioning within that setting. Findings are interpreted within these boundaries rather than as universal claims applicable to every organization or market.