Spirituality in social work practice

Myth or essential component of ethical and effective service provision

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21721537
AutoresDavid R Hodges (0000-0001-6672-9070, School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ., USA; Program for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA., USA., autor de correspondencia), Heather Marie Boynton (0000-0002-1681-1735, University of Calgary), Jo-Ann Vis (0000-0001-7509-883X, Lakehead University), John R Graham (0000-0002-5944-1498, University of British Columbia), Diana Coholic (0000-0001-7270-3029, Laurentian University), Edward R Canda (0000-0002-6751-1820, University of Kansas)
Año2025
Volumen25
Número2
Páginas250-270
Fecha de publicación2025-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Social Work (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1468-0173 • E-ISSN: 1741-296X
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14680173241279028
OpenAlexW4404697079
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas11
Referencias citadas61

Recent scholarship questions the concept of practitioners addressing spirituality in social work practice arguing, for instance, that social workers should not conduct spiritual assessments. This article responds to these criticisms. Employing a modified domain-based review of the relevant literature, this article contends that addressing spirituality is an essential component of ethical and effective service provision. Findings To support the notion that social workers should address spirituality in practice, seven intertwined rationales are delineated. Specifically, conducting a spiritual assessment positions practitioners to (1) observe widely affirmed social work ethical principles, (2) respect client autonomy regarding the nature of the services they receive, (3) identify potential strengths that can be leveraged to assist clients deal with challenges, (4) provide culturally relevant services that resonate, rather than conflict, with clients' values, (5) create evidence-informed spiritual interventions that ameliorate problems, (6) advocate for social justice and clients' fundamental human rights, and (7) comply with professional standards and protocols that require the administration of spiritual assessments to optimize the effectiveness of services. Applications Based on the findings, we suggest that social workers should be equipped and trained to administer spiritual assessments and work with clients' spiritual and religious beliefs and practices to ensure the provision of effective, client-centered services

Autonomy · Engineering ethics · Political science · Psychological intervention · Public relations · Scholarship · Sociology · Spirituality · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work