Diversity
Practice Selective
Fall 2005
SW 870 # 22533
Spiritual Aspects of Social Work Practice
Instructor:
Edward R. Canda, Ph.D., Professor
Prerequisite: Advanced level
Credit
Hours: 3
Location:
Edwards Campus (215 Regents Center)
Time:
Thursdays,
Instructor
Contact Information:
Office: 203 Twente Hall,
Office Hours: Mondays 9-12 in Lawrence.; Also,
contact instructor for appointment at Edwards Campus
Office Phone:
Email: edc@ku.edu
I. COURSE
RATIONALE
The
social work profession has a strong commitment to developing human service
approaches that support human diversity and alleviate or eliminate social
oppression and injustice. Many practice
settings serve diverse clients, involving issues pertaining to gender,
ethnicity, culture, race, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs,
ability, social class, and age. In
keeping with the mission and themes of the University of Kansas School of
Social Welfare, this course promotes an approach to social work practice that
challenges dominant norms and world views that work to marginalize persons who
present with these diverse attributes.
This course is organized around understanding diversity and the
application of that understanding to people of diverse religious and
nonreligious spiritual perspectives and traditions, with special consideration
of those that have been marginalized and oppressed. Students who complete this course will be
able to apply a framework of knowledge, values, and practice methodologies
needed to provide service to diverse populations.
Social
work seeks to assist people to achieve their full potential within their
environmental contexts. In order to do so it adopts an holistic
person-in-environment perspective to guide practice. Since the historical foundation of the
profession, many social workers have recognized that a holistic perspective
requires taking into account the biological, psychological, sociological, and
spiritual aspects of human needs, strengths, and experience. However, the spiritual aspects of social work
practice have been commonly marginalized or ignored in social work education
until recently. Minority spiritual
perspectives have been especially neglected given the Eurocentric assumptions
common in social work. However, current
trends in social work education and practice, as well as the NASW Code of
Ethics, support the inclusion of content on religious and spiritual diversity.
Accordingly
this course is a diversity practice selective that provides a comprehensive
introduction to spiritual aspects of culturally competent and spiritually
sensitive social work practice. As a
clinical practice selective, it builds on the generalist approach of the
foundation curriculum by giving a more specialized understanding of spiritual
diversity in social work practice and its relevance to policy, research, and
theory.
In
this course, the term "spirituality" designates the human striving
for a sense of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment through morally satisfying
relationships with oneself and between individuals, communities, the
surrounding universe, and the ontological ground of our existence (whether
conceived in theistic, animistic, nontheistic, atheistic or other terms). As
such, spirituality is expressed through diverse beliefs, values, behaviors, and
experiences in our clients' lives.
Often, spirituality is expressed in religious forms (i.e. through
institutionalized patterns of belief and behavior oriented toward spiritual
concerns). However, spirituality may
also be expressed without adherence to a religion. Clients' spiritual perspectives are related
inextricably with their understandings of suffering and injustice and their attempts
to accomplish personal and collective goals. Therefore, social work
practitioners need to be prepared to respond to the spiritual aspects of client
needs, strengths and experiences.
This
course provides a framework of knowledge, values, skills and experiences for
culturally competent, ethical, and spiritually-sensitive social work
practice. A comparative, critically
reflective approach to content is employed.
The roles of religion and spirituality in supporting or impeding
individual strengths and social justice are considered.
II. EDUCATIONAL
OUTCOMES
By
the conclusion of this course graduate students will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Describe and reflect critically upon the
implications of human diversity for social work theory, research, policy, and
practice. (Reflects
2. Evaluate themselves, their practice and
their agency setting with regard to competency in work with diverse
populations. (Reflects
3. Describe, analyze, and respond to
specific needs and strengths of diverse groups.
(Reflects
4. Identify and critically reflect on
diverse religious and nonreligious spiritual perspectives and their
implications for social work practice.
(Reflects
5. Understand and analyze the history of the
relationship between religion and social work as well as the current
state-of-the-art for culturally competent, ethical and spiritually-sensitive
social work practice. (Reflects
6. Understand and formulate qualities of a
spiritually-sensitive helping relationship and evaluate their own practice
accordingly. (Reflects
7. Understand and critically evaluate
guidelines for spiritually-sensitive assessment of human development and
well-being, including use of standard diagnostic systems such as
DSM-IV-TR. (Reflects
8. Identify strategies for effective
cooperation with religious and nonreligious spiritual support systems of
clients. (Reflects
9. Identify and critically evaluate
practical and ethical guidelines for utilizing religiously derived social work
practice activities, such as religious symbolism, prayer, meditation, and
ritual.
(Reflects
10. Understand the supportive and oppressive
aspects of religious and spiritual perspectives concerning issues of human
diversity, such as gender, ethnicity and culture, age, sexual orientation,
ability, and social class. (Reflects
11. Apply to practice a framework of knowledge,
values, and skills for spiritually-sensitive social work. (Reflects
Honoring
the School’s commitment to educational approaches that connect theory,
knowledge, values, and skills to social work practice, this course is designed
to educate students for advanced level clinical practice with people of diverse
religious and nonreligious spiritual perspectives through:
1. Examining the strengths and resources of individuals related to spiritual beliefs
and support systems, including religious affiliations, within the context of
families, neghborhoods, organizations, and communities.
2. Use of a critical perspective to reflect on oneself, social work theory and
practice, clients, and environmental contexts related to the pathologization,
marginalization, and stigmatization of people’s spiritual experiences, beliefs,
and practices and to develop creative alternatives.
3. Understanding and valuing the diversity of religious and nonreligious
spiritual perspectives and their implications for other issues of diversity,
such as those pertaining to culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, social
class, ability, and sexual orientation.
4. Examining how issues of social and economic justice relate to
ways that religious and nonreligious spiritual perspectives contribute to
injustice and oppression as well as empowerment and liberation.
IV. THE
LIBERAL ARTS PERSPECTIVE
Building
upon the liberal arts perspective, students in this course are expected
to: (1) think and write clearly and
effectively about their practice activities and the specific ways in which
client outcomes can be improved; (2) understand ways in which knowledge is
gained nd applied through review of research findings and analysis of various
practice theories relevant to clinical social work practice; (3) use knowledge
of the social, biological, and behavioral sciences in completing broad based
bio-psycho-social assessments of clients’ situations; (4) use knowledge of
history in understanding the impact of oppression and discrimination on diverse
people’s individual and collective functioning; (5) understand the effects of
variations between workers’ and clients’ values and cultural backgrounds on the
clinical helping process.
This
course links a broad range of liberal arts and social science concerns with the
field of social work. Historical,
cultural, philosophical, and religious information and concepts are derived
from disciplines of comparative religious studies, anthropology, sociology,
psychology, and philosophy. Since this
course examines diverse forms of spiritual and religious experience, social
work practice becomes connected with fundamental humanistic and existential
issues. The course assumes that students
have a liberal arts educational background and have completed foundation level
social work courses, as preparation for understanding and applying the course
content.
V. PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES
Although
American social work originated with a strong influence from religious
movements for charity and social service, the past several decades have
involved controversy over the connections between religion, spirituality, and
social work. Since the mid 1980s, there
has been increasing professional support for non-discriminatory and respectful
ways of providing spiritually-sensitive social work. Students are familiarized with the history of
these connections and controversies as well as the present state-of-the-art in
the development of culturally competent and spiritually-sensitive social work.
In
keeping with professional ethics and value commitments, the course adopts
holistic and inclusive approaches to subject material. The holistic approach encourages understanding
and responsiveness to the whole person, including the spiritual aspect, in the
context of cultural and religious support systems. The concept of person-in-environment is
expanded to include examination of how people deal with the spiritual tasks of
establishing a sense of meaning and purpose in relations with the human
community, the planetary ecology, and the ontological ground of existence,
however conceived. The inclusive
approach emphasizes the professional values of client self-determination, empowerment,
and appreciation for diversity. All
spiritual perspectives are to be understood and respected without judgmentalism
or pressure from proselytization.
Ethical dilemmas and guidelines for ethical decision-making, are
considered, especially in relation to the uses of religiously derived helping
resources, strategies, techniques, and support systems.
VI. PREPARATION
FOR PRACTICE WITH DIVERSE POPULATIONS
In
keeping with the mission and themes of the University of Kansas School of
Social Welfare, this course promotes an approach to social work practice that
challenges dominant norms and world views that work to marginalize persons who
present with issues pertaining to gender, ethnicity, culture, race, sexual
orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, ability, social class, and
age. This course is organized around
understanding diversity and application of that understanding to people of
diverse religious and
nonreligious
spiritual perspectives and traditions, with special consideration of those that
have been marginalized and oppressed.
Students who complete this course will be able to apply a framework of
knowledge, values, and practice methodologies needed to provide service to
diverse populations.
A comparative approach to
teaching about religious and spiritual diversity is employed, to provide
understanding of diverse perspectives and to foster self-awareness of students
about their own spiritual commitments and congruence with professional values. In addition, religious and spiritual systems may
support or inhibit, liberate or oppress clients. The potential for liberation or oppression of
people, especially in relation to diversity of social class, ethnicity or
culture, sexual orientation, age, ability, and gender is explored.
The
course provides a general, framework for culturally competent and spiritually
sensitive practice; however, each student must clarify how to refine and apply
this framework in his or her own practice.
Therefore, class discussion, assignments, and practice exercises help
the student to formulate an individualized practice framework, inspired by
state-of-the-art professional developments linked to personal interests and
value commitments.
The
influence of ethnocentrism and various forms of racism, discrimination, and
oppression on social work theory, research, policy and practice.
Various
models of empowerment and liberation for understanding and working with
spiritually diverse clients as an example of diverse clients populations.
A
foundation of theoretical perspectives for spiritually sensitive and culturally
competent practice such as transpersonal theories and spiritual development
models.
Guidelines
for ethical decision-making with regard to addressing spirituality in practice
consistent with social work professional values and the NASW Code of Ethics.
Guidelines
for assessment of strengths and challenges of client systems related to
spirituality, including appropriate use of DSM regarding distinguishing between
psychopathology and spiritual crises.
Guidelines
for application of spiritually-oriented skills and techniques, including use of
religiously derived helping activities and support systems and nonreligious
interventions such as stress-reduction meditation.
Guidelines
for establishment of a spiritually-sensitive helping relationship, including
interpersonal communication skills, organizational policies and procedures, and
community collaboration.
Use
of holistic approaches to practice that go beyond verbal interaction, such as
creative arts, therapeutic dreamwork, meditation, and ritual.
Understanding
of local community religious traditions and support systems which are commonly
used by diverse local client populations.
Cross-cultural
and international comparison of religious traditions and their impact on the
understanding and provision of human service.
VIII. REQUIRED
1.
Required
Books:
Canda,
E. R. & Furman, L. D. (1999). Spiritual
diversity in social work practice: The heart of helping. NY: Free Press.
Van
Hook, M., Hugen, B, & Aguilar, M. (Eds.). (2001). Spirituality within religious traditions
in social work practice.
2. Recommended
Website:
See Ed Canda’s homepage for information and access to many resources on
spiritual diversity and social work: www.socwel.ku.edu/canda/
** Especially, read the essays and view
the Photo Gallery in the Spiritual Diversity and Social Work Resource Center
via the link on this homepage.
Books:
Helpful
reference book for literature searching:
Canda,
E. R., Nakashima, M., Burgess, V., Russel, R., & Barfield, S. T.
(2003). Spiritual diversity and
social work: A comprehensive bibliography with annotations, second edition.
Also:
Abels,
S. L. (Ed.). (2000).
Spirituality in social work practice:
Narratives for professional helping.
Becvar,
D. S. (Ed.) (1988). Family,
spirituality and social work.
Brothers,
B. (Ed.). (1993). Spirituality and
couples: Heart and soul in the therapy
process.
Bullis,
R. S. (1996). Spirituality in social
work practice.
Canda,
E. R. $ Smith, E. D. (Eds.). (2001). Transpersonal
perspectives on spirituality in social work.
Cnaan,
R., with Wineburg, R. J. & Boddie, S. C. (1999). The newer deal: Social work and religion
in partnership. NY:
Coggins,
K. (1990). Alternative pathways to
healing: The recovery medicine wheel.
Crompton,
M. (1998). Children, spirituality,
religion and social work.
Ellor,
J. W., Netting, F. E., & Thibault, J. M. (1999). Religious and spiritual
aspects of human service practice.
Hugen,
B. (Ed.) (1998). Christianity and
social work:
Krill,
D. F. (1990). Practice wisdom: A
guide for helping professionals.
Nash,
M. & Stewart, B. (Eds.). (2002). Spirituality
and social care: Contributing to personal and community well-being.
Patel,
N., Naik, D., & Humphreys, B. (Ed.). (1997). Visions of reality: Religion and ethnicity
in social work.
Scales,
T. L. et al. (Eds.). (2002). Spirituality and religion in social work
practice: Decision cases with teaching notes.
IX. ASSIGNMENTS
The
main purpose of assignments and course policies is to encourage learning and
professional standards of conduct. I
encourage everyone to meet with me individually by appointment so I can
consider and support your particular learning interests, goals, and needs.
Attendance and
Participation (prerequisite for satisfactory grade)
These
participation issues are matters of courtesy and professional behavior. Good class participation reflects the same
high standards expected in professional social work practice.
This
course relies heavily on students' participation and mutual support. Therefore, regular attendance and
participation are prerequisites for a satisfactory grade . Students sign a circulated attendance sheet
before the end of each class. Students
must attend every class with the exception of documented medical or
personal emergency. Work schedule or practicum schedule conflicts are not
adequate reasons for missing classes.
(Practicum instructors should be informed of this.) Pagers and cell phones with sound alarms
are not permitted in class. Students
are not to leave class to answer pagers or cell phones, except in the case of
an emergency. If there is a critical
situation that may require answering a phone or pager during class, the student
should notify the instructor at the beginning of class.
An
absence may be excused for reasons of bona fide personal emergencies (such as
medical crisis). The student must obtain
permission from the instructor in advance or as soon as possible after the
crisis. See the following provisions for
make-up essay in the case of excused and unexcused absences.
**
If a student must miss a class, the student should notify the instructor with an email
note ahead of time explaining the reason.
The student must arrange with a fellow student to obtain class notes,
handouts, and other materials or information.
The student must also arrange to have the class audiotaped by a fellow
student. (Note rule on audiotaping and copyright.) Based on all these materials, the student
must prepare a brief essay (up to 400 words) typed in response to the class in
order to demonstrate understanding of the material. This essay should consist of comments and
questions regarding the class content (not just readings). If this is completed, the student will be
given credit for attendance. The essay
must be submitted to the instructor within 2 weeks of the missed date and no
later than the last week of class.
If notification cannot be given ahead of
time, due to an emergency, send the email explanation or phone message
as soon as possible and contact a fellow student or instructor for
materials.
Each excused absence with failure to
complete the make-up essay will result in an automatic
reduction of 5 points from the final course grade (e.g. 95% or A becomes 90% or
A-). ** Each unexcused absence with completion of the make-up essay will result
in 5 points grade reduction. If a
student has an unexcused absence and also does not complete the make-up essay,
the final grade will be reduced by 10 points.
Students
must arrive at class on time, except in the case of an emergency,
because we often begin with a class activity that requires timely arrival. Late arrivals may disrupt the other students
in this activity. If you arrive late and
the class is occupied in an experiential exercise, wait outside without opening
the door until class discussion resumes.
Auditing: No one is permitted to audit this course
without permission of the instructor.
Audiotaping or other
recordings:
All class presentations, handouts, and class discussions perpared by the
instructor are the intellectual property of the instructor. They may not be recorded and shared beyond
this class by any means without the instructor’s written permission. Students’ comments and discussions are
confidential. Professional ethics apply
to the use and misuse of class materials and interactions. However, audiotaping of class sessions
will be permitted only for the use of students in the class.
Students
will be asked to explain their views on required readings
in class discussions. Accuracy, clarity,
and careful thinking in responses to readings are crucial for good quality
interactions. Therefore, students must complete
assigned readings prior to class and be prepared to answer spontaneous
questions from the instructor and fellow students.
Besides
participating in class discussion, students will have other opportunities to contribute
to the effective learning atmosphere in the classroom. These might include preparing the classroom
environment, bringing music, sharing personal narratives, etc.
The
topic of this course is inherently controversial. Students are expected to communicate between
themselves and the instructor in a manner that encourages open dialogue,
appreciates diversity, and tolerates disagreement. In a public educational institution,
religious proselytization by the instructor or students is prohibited. We may well challenge each other to pursue
understanding of truth, but we may not coerce, manipulate, or denigrate each
other on the basis of our own versions of the truth.
This
course combines educational methods of lecture, discussion and experiential
exercises. The instructor, students, and other presenters must seek consent
from all students for participation in experiential exercises and explicitly
religious activities. With regard to
explicitly religious activities, presenters may ask students to observe
activities for the sake of information, but they may not require students to
participate directly. If a student plans
to do this, she or he must discuss with the instructor ahead of time. Students must make clear to each other and
presenters their comfort or discomfort with proposed exercises and religious
activities, so that modifications can be made and a consensus of agreement can
be achieved. Failure to do so will
adversely affect the class experience for everyone.
Any
self-disclosure that could result from the papers or class discussion
will be voluntary on the part of the student.
At no time should the confidentiality of clients or agencies be
violated.
The
purpose of attendance and participation assignments and expectations is to
assess your progress on all Educational Outcomes, since attendance and
effective participation are necessary to obtain required information and
practice how to apply it in a classroom setting.
Quizzes (40 % of
grade)
There
will be two quizzes (20% of total grade each) that test students’ knowledge of
diverse religious and nonreligious spiritual perspectives as presented in the
required readings. Demonstrating
knowledge relevant to practice is a component of competency as required by the
NASW Code of Ethics. Quizzes will be
explained further in class. Students
will be informed of the book chapters covered by quizzes in advance. Dates for quizzes are listed on the schedule.
There
will be about 25 multiple choice type questions (four or five possible answers
each) on each quiz for a total of 50.
The quizzes are designed to test your grasp of factual information from
the required readings and lectures, including guest lectures and handouts. Most of the questions will come from
readings. The questions focus on
prominent historical dates and episodes in the formation of religious
traditions; important figures, beliefs, values, practices, and symbols in
various spiritual perspectives; and major guidelines for practice in regard to
the diverse spiritual perspectives and issues covered in the course. In order to prepare for the quizzes, it is
helpful to review all readings and course materials and take notes on
them. Students may use readings and
notes in class while taking the quizzes.
However, each quiz must be completed within 25 minutes.
The
purpose of the quizzes relates most closely to Educational Outcomes 3, 4, and
6.
**Note: Choose one of the three following major
assignment options (60% of grade). A student may request an alternative to these
major assignments of her or his own design as long as it fulfills similar
learning purposes, has similar scale of effort, and is approved in writing by
the instructor within the first 3 weeks of the course.
Major Assignment Option 1: Self-Reflection Exercises and Reflection
Essays
This
assignment is based on the exercises listed at the end of each chapter in
Canda’s & Furman's textbook. It
allows for flexibility and variety of learning styles. The exercises stimulate self-reflection and
provide guidance for application of text material to social work practice and
personal growth. You will need to choose and complete an exercise for each
chapter and write about each one. The
length of each reflection essay (per chapter) should be about 3-5 pages, typed
and double spaced. This assignment is
adapted from guidelines for journaling at the end of chapter one in the Canda
& Furman book.
Chapter
1, 2, 3, 5, 7 & 8 Select one
exercise from each chapter.
Chapter
4 No
choice. There is only one exercise.
Chapter
6 Select one
from 6.1 or one from 6.2.
Chapter
9 For 9.1,
select two between A and I.
**Use
the following format for each reflection essay:**
1.
Number
of the exercise and date of journal entry.
For
example: 1.5; journal entry
2.
Main
insight from doing the exercise.
This
is not merely writing about what you read or stating your personal opinion
about something. First, describe how you
did the exercise. State briefly one main
insight resulting from doing the exercise.
For example:
“I carefully read each ethical
principle for spiritually sensitive social work. I compared the authors’ wording with the
original wording in the NASW Code of Ethics.
I reflected on the extent to which I agreed or disagreed with each
principle, why, and how this relates to my practice.
The
thing that struck me the most was the way the authors extended the principle of
“importance of human relationships” to the importance of relationships with the
natural environment and understanding the way clients’ might experience a
relationship with supernatural or divine aspects of reality. Although I agree with this, I realize I have
to stretch my understanding of relationships in the helping process much
further than I have been doing.”
3.
Self-reflection.
In
this main section, write about your reactions to the exercise and implications
for your personal and professional growth in more detail. Include: (1) explanation of your reaction to
the exercise and what predisposed you to this reaction, considering your
personal and professional background, strengths, and limitations as revealed by
the exercise; (2) identification of specific implications for further personal
or professional growth, including how to build on your strenghts and expand
beyond your limitations; and (3) commitment to at least one action that will
promote this growth, stated in specific behavioral terms with a timeline for
completion. Your reflections should go
beyond mere unreflective opinions or detached intellectual statements. Engage yourself as a whole person, including
feelings, sensations, thoughts, intuition, and action in the exercises and
journal essays. It is especially useful
if you can link your action commitments to activities in practicum or
professional employment.
Note
that you will submit these essays at three times listed on the schedule. The first time, you will submit the first
essay so that I can give feedback to help you refine your essays. The second and third times, you will submit
essays for the remaining chapters.
The
purpose of the self-reflection exercises and journal assignment is to assess
your progress especially on Educational Outcomes 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
OR Major Assignment Option 2: Conceptual
Framework for Practice Paper and Project (20-25 pages)
The
project is designed to help you connect cognitive and experiential learning to
support the development of a personal framework for spiritually-sensitive
social work practice. Therefore it
requires you to integrate knowledge and insight from your own personal
self-reflection, course discussion and readings, additional readings specific
to your interests, and experiential exploration of a spiritual tradition or
perspective that relates to your practice.
Use
the following outline and headings to organize your paper. Give specific citations from scholarly and
other sources to support your ideas in all parts of the paper. You must include thorough use of the required
course readings.
1. Introduction (1 page)
Explain
the approach you will be taking in this paper, including an introduction of
your personal background and professional interests that shape your chosen
approach.
2. Conceptual Framework for Spiritually
Sensitive Practice (5‑6 pages)
a. Commitment to Service
b. Linkage between Personal and
Professional Growth Issues
c. Primary Orienting Personal and
Professional Values
d. Primary Orienting Concepts
(Theoretical, Philosophical, Spiritual)
e. Primary Orienting Skills and Activities
Summarize
the primary values, concepts, and skills that guide your approach to
spiritually sensitive practice. Explain
how these derive from your religious and/or nonreligious spiritual perspective
and how they link to your professional values and practice interests. What do you mean by spiritually sensitive
practice? How are your personal growth
and professional development linked?
3. The Practice Situation (2 pages)
Choose
a social work practice situation (or volunteer, if necessary) that will be the
focus for your application of your framework in this paper. For example, you might select a current
practice example in working with an individual, family, or group in micro
practice; you might discuss an agency administration issue, a community
organizing activity, a research project, or policy action situation. The
situation should involve a spiritual perspective unfamiliar to you, in order to
encourage learning to address spiritual diversity. If you cannot use a current practice
situation, then speak with a volunteer acquaintance. In the latter case, you can design a way of
being helpful that reflects professional practice standards, even though this
is not formal social work. Give the
background of the client system including the presenting problem, issue, or
goal that creates the need for assistance.
4. Exploring the Client System's
Spiritual Perspective
a. Assessment of the Client's Spiritual
Perspective (2-3 pages)
Ask
the client to describe his/her spiritual perspective, how it developed since
childhood, and how it is relevant to the present situation, and future
possibilities for growth. Consider the
religious or nonreligious spiritual aspects of the client's needs, strengths,
resources, and goals. Consider relevant
aspects of the client's environment.
b. Exploration of the Client's Spiritual
Perspective (3-4 pages)
Once
you know what the client's spiritual perspective is, you need to explore it to
obtain direct personal experiential understanding about it. For example, you could attend a spiritual
service or religious community event that is relevant. You could contact community leaders in the
relevant tradition and ask for information and personal stories about how this spiritual
perspective offers help or resources that could be of direct or indirect
benefit to the client. (Do not identify
the client without formal permission.)
Collect documentation that illustrates key symbols, ideas, or rituals,
as relevant (e.g. objects, documents, picture, photographs). Combine this information together with
information you can find in the scholarly literature. Give a description about these key ideas,
symbols, and practices that are relevant to the client's situation. Clarify the relevant psychological, social,
physical or spiritual resources available to the client in the context of
his/her spiritual perspective and community.
c. Designing Spiritually Sensitive
Practice Activities (4‑5 pages)
(1) Connection of Your Framework to the
Client's Perspective
Explain
how you will make a connection between your own personal spirituality, your
framework for spiritually sensitive practice, and the client’s particular
spiritual perspective and situation.
What are the ethical and practical considerations?
(2) Plan for Practice
Specify
a plan for how you could do (or actually are doing) spiritually sensitive
practice to address the client's needs, strengths, and goals. How well could you apply your own framework
for practice and the information about the clients' spiritual perspective? How will this affect the nature of your
helping relationship? What specific
helping activities will you use?
5. Implications for Personal and
Professional Growth (4-5 pages)
Discuss
how you changed or grew through the process of developing this framework for
spiritually sensitive practice. How did
you react to specific course readings?
Identify some salient themes or issues for our personal and professional
growth raised by this project. Consider
how your own strengths, limitations, values, biases, and spiritual orientation
predisposed you to respond in particular ways (for example, in regard to the
client or contacts with spiritual resources of the client). Specify implications for your continued personal
and professional development. Conclude
by identifying at least two specific activities which you commit to do after
this course is completed that will promote your continued development of
spiritually sensitive practice. Give
specific plans and time frame or accomplishing these activities.
Note
that you will submit a draft of the first half of this assignment so I can give
feedback on refining it. The completed
assignment is due as indicated on the schedule.
The
purpose of the conceptual framework for practice assignment is to assess
students’ progress especially on Educational Outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 11.
OR Major Assignment Option 3: Reflection Essays combined with Conceptual
Framework for Practice (20-25 pages)
Part
Write an 8-10 page (double spaced typed) paper
that focuses on how you apply your learning in this course to your current
social work practice, within practicum or other settings. You can write the paper in a way that works
best for you, but it should include the following ingredients. (Be sure that you consult with your practicum
instructor or supervisor as needed.)
References and citations are not necessary. Just make sure to use the text materials
accurately and thoroughly.
Describe your practice setting and your student
and/or professional role in it.
Discuss how you applied learning from this
course (especially from Part
This must include:
·
A practice activity directed to your use
of self in the helping process (e.g. your own private meditation, stress
management, heightening awareness in connection with clients, etc.)
·
Critical reflection on your agency
context and its support for or inhibition of spiritually sensitive practice and
how you respond to that as a practitioner (e.g. win-win solution making,
administrative style, preparation for multicultural teamwork applied to
spiritual diversity, etc.)
·
A practice activity for assessment that
you used directly with a client/client system (e.g. spiritual strengths
assessment, spiritual propensity assessment, spiritual development assessment,
consideration of issues of diversity and oppression/empowerment in relation to
the client’s spirituality, etc.)
·
A practice activity for helping the
client/client system achieve his/her goals through some spiritually oriented
helping activities (e.g. meditation, ritual, religious participation,
dreamwork, journaling, etc.)
For the above two
practice activities, be sure to include your rationale for why the activity was
appropriate for the particular client and situation based on the ethical
guidelines (p. 264, Table 8.2) for spiritually sensitive practice. Also indicate what impact this activity had
on the client and why. You may adapt the activities described in the texts to
make them suitable for your practice situation.
Finally, briefly discuss what you learned about yourself from reflecting on this practice experience in terms of some area of further personal or professional growth needed. Indicate how, in the future, you plan to accomplish this growth.
The
purpose of assignment option 3 is to assess your progress especially on
Educational Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
Grading Criteria for
Major Assignment Options
Content
(80% of assignment grade)
Ÿ Each required content area is thoroughly
discussed.
Ÿ Content shows how class materials and
readings and other resources are thoroughly utlized and documented.
·
Demonstrates reflective, analytical,
concrete and creative thinking and behavior.
·
Reflects understanding and support of
course objectives and expectations as well as the NASW Code of Ethics
Style (20% of
assignment grade)
Ÿ Discussion is coherent, and well-organized.
Ÿ Writing is typed, double spaced, and edited
for clarity, spelling and grammar.
·
·
Any non-verbal materials, such as
photographs, are well composed, professional presentation quality, and well
selected in relation to the purpose of the assignment.
Students who would
like assistance to improve writing may contact the
Timelines
Ÿ Late papers or other assignments without
advance notice will be reduced 20% of the total score for each day late.
Late papers, with explicit permission of the instructor, will be reduced 5% of
the total score for each day late. If a
paper will be late for an emergency, the student must notify the instructor in
advance, or as soon as posible, to make an arrangement. In the case of medical emergencies or other
legitimate exceptions for lateness, the student must obtain permission from the
instructor and will not have a reduction of grade.
Final
course grades will be assigned according to the following plus/minus scale:
A
90-100 (90-94=A-; 95-100=A)
B
80-89 (80-82=B-; 83-86=B;
87-89=B+)
C
70-79 (70-72=C-; 73-76=C;
77-79=C+)
F
69 and below
Procedure for Return
of Assignments at End of Semester
In
order to have the last writing assignments returned by mail, the student must
supply a correct size, self-adhesive, self-addressed, stamped envelope. The student must be listed as both sender and
receiver.
X. SPECIAL
CONSIDERATIONS
Students
who have special educational needs of any kind, including those related to
learning disabilities, other disabilities, English as a second language, or
religious observance, should discuss necessary accommodations with the
instructor within the first two sessions of the course. The university and
XI. INSTRUCTOR
AVAILABILITY
See heading of first page for information.
XII. INCLEMENT
WEATHER POLICY
If
the university closes due to inclement weather, announcements will be made on
the media or you may call the inclement weather line, 864-
XIII. SCHEDULE
OF CLASS TOPICS
Class Session and Date Topic and Due Dates for Reading and
Written Assignments
(Some
changes may be made in order to accommodate guest presenters or field
trips. Students will be notified in
advance.)
1:
8/18 Introduction
to Course and Key Issues for Cultural Competence
(Handouts)
2:
8/25 Values
and Ethics for Spiritually Sensitive and Culturally Competent Social Work; An
International Example: Spiritual Diversity in Korean Social Work
·
Canda & Furman, introduction and
ch.1.
(Power
Point Presentation)
3:
9/1 Compassion,
Justice, and the Call to Service
·
Van Hook, introduction, ch. 1.
(Commentary on Canda & Furman chapter one due in class, if doing option 1 or 3.)
4:
9/8 The
Meaning of Spirituality for Practice and Research
Canda
& Furman, ch. 2.
5:
9/15 Spirituality
and Resilient Response to Chronic Illness and Aging: Spirituality in Life
Development Context
·
Van Hook, chapter 14. (Last date to change
assignment option choice.)
6:
9/22 Spiritual
Diversity Issues Relating to Oppression, Empowerment, and Social Policy
·
Canda & Furman, ch. 3.; Van Hook,
chapter 2.
(If doing assignment option 2, detailed
outline of paper due in class.)
7:
9/29 Diverse
Religious Perspectives on Social Work
·
Canda & Furman, ch. 4; Van Hook,
chapter 3.
·
Van Hook, chapters 4-5.
(Quiz 1)
Fall
Break (10/13)
·
Canda & Furman, chapter 5. Van Hook, chapter 6.
10:
10/27 Evaluating
the Practice Context for Spiritual Sensitivity and Cultural Competency
·
Canda & Furman, ch. 6. Van Hook, chapter 8.
(Commentaries on Canda & Furman chapters two through 5 due in class.)
11:
11/3 Assessing
Spiritual Development and Issues in Using DSM-IV-TR
·
Canda & Furman, ch. 7. Van Hook, chapter 7.
(If doing Option 3, stop commentaries and switch.)
·
Canda & Furman, ch. 8. Van Hook, chapter 9.
13:
11/17 Spiritually
Sensitive Practice Skills and Techniques
·
Canda & Furman, ch. 9. (Quiz
2)
Thanksgiving
Break (11/24)
14:
12/1 Spiritually
Sensitive Practice Skills and Techniques Continued
(complete final assignment to be submitted
in last class)
15:
12/8 Concluding
Celebration of Spiritual Diversity in Social Work
(Co-designed
by students and instructor.)
(Commentaries on Canda & Furman
chapters six through nine or Options 2 or 3 complete assignment due in
class.)