Human Behavior -Soc Env II-Winter 2025
Spirituality and Social Work Practice
Because it may be a significant part of a client’s social environment, spirituality plays a vital role in your understanding of the client, their needs, and potential treatment. Consider this example: A social worker recognizes a client’s strong Baptist faith; the social worker then facilitates services through the Baptist Church so as to build on an already established connection.
Being culturally sensitive by respecting your clients’ spirituality and religious traditions is an important professional competence. Applying your spiritual awareness to a specific client case, however, may require even greater skill. In this Assignment, you consider how you might address a client’s crisis that includes a spiritual or religious component.
To Prepare:
• Access the Social Work Case Studies media in the Learning Resources and explore the case of Najeeb.
BY DAY 4
Submit a 2- to 4-page paper analyzing the case and applying your perspective on spirituality. Be sure to address the following:
• As a social worker, would you include spirituality and religion in your initial assessment of Najeeb? Why or why not?
• What strategies might you use to ensure that your personal values would not influence your practice with Najeeb? How would these strategies support ethical practice?
• How would you address the crisis that Najeeb is experiencing?
Use the Learning Resources to support your analysis. Make sure to provide APA citations and a reference list.
Please write out the sub headings)
Support your post with examples from the course text and any other resources used to respond to this Discussion. Demonstrate that you have completed the required readings, understand the material, and are able to apply the concepts. Include a full reference of resources at the bottom of the post.
Course book
Empowerment Series: Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment 11TH 19
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Resources
Required Readings
• Zastrow, C. H., Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
o Chapter 3, “Spotlight on Diversity: Relate Human Diversity to Psychological Theories” (pp. 112–114)
o Chapter 7, Sections “Review Fowler’s Theory of Faith Development,” “Critical Thinking: Evaluation of Fowler’s Theory,” and “Social Work Practice and Empowerment Through Spiritual Development” (pp. 339–342)
o Chapter 15, “Highlight 15.2: “Celebration of Life Funerals” (pp. 694–696)
• Limb, G. E., Hodge, D. R., Ward, K., Ferrell, A., & Alboroto, R. (2018). Developing cultural competence with LDS clients: Utilizing spiritual genograms in social work practice.Links to an external site. Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work, 37 (2), 166–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2018.1448033
• Oxhandler, H. K., Polson, E. C., & Achenbaum, W. A. (2018). The religiosity and spiritual beliefs and practices of clinical social workers: A national survey.Links to an external site. Social Work, 63 (1), 47–56. https://doi.org/10.1093/SW/SWX055
• Pomeroy, E. C., Hai, A. H., & Cole, A. H., Jr. (2021). Social work practitioners’ educational needs in developing spiritual competency in end-of-life care and grief.Links to an external site. Journal of Social Work Education, 57 (2), 264–286. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1670306
• Roh, S., Burnette, C. E., & Lee, Y.-S. (2018). Prayer and faith: Spiritual coping among American Indian women cancer survivors.Links to an external site. Health and Social Work, 43 (3), 185–192. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hly015
• Document: Life Span Interview Download Life Span Interview(PDF)
Media
• Walden University, LLC. (2021). Social work case studies Links to an external site. [Interactive media]. Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com/
o Navigate to Najeeb.
