Spirituality

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Faith and Its Application to the Practice of Social Work Ellen Wagenfeld-Heintz a a Baker College Online, Flint, Michigan, USA Published online: 11 Jun 2009.

To cite this article: Ellen Wagenfeld-Heintz (2009): Faith and Its Application to the Practice of Social Work, Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 21:3, 182-199

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WRSA1552-80301552-8049Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, Vol. 21, No. 3, Mar 2009: pp. 0–0Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging

Faith and Its Application to Social WorkE. Wagenfeld-Heintz

Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 21:182–199, 2009 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1552-8030 print/1552-8049 online DOI: 10.1080/15528030902803889

Faith and Its Application to the Practice of Social Work

ELLEN WAGENFELD-HEINTZ Baker College Online, Flint, Michigan, USA

While previous studies investigated the level of spirituality and religiosity of social workers, it is unclear how these beliefs influ­ ence choice of social work as a career and subsequent interactions with clients. Current findings of a qualitative study of 20 geriatric social workers suggest an intertwining of the values of social work, such as social justice and client empowerment with private reli­ gious and spiritual beliefs. In dealing with the rigors of the profes­ sion, these beliefs were used as a source of support and grounding for social workers and were rarely discussed with clients.

KEYWORDS Religion and spirituality, social work, mental health, elderly

Several authors have noted that while social work derives from religious roots (it was a vocation to help the poor and seek social justice), the majority of the profession distanced itself from these beginnings in an attempt to become a credible profession and be viewed as scientific (Gilbert, 2000; Gotterer, 2001; Sahlein, 2002). Given its origins, still others have made the case for the relevance of religion and spirituality in social work practice (Burthwick, 1999; Cascio, 2003; Constable, 1983; Dudley & Helfgott, 1990; Joseph, 1988; Nelson-Becker, 2005b; Ortiz & Langer, 2002; Sermabeikian, 1994; Sheridan, Wilmer, & Atcheson 1994). As Sermabeikian (1994) commented,

Ellen Wagenfeld-Heintz, Ph.D. was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan when this research was carried out. Her work was supported by a postdoctoral training grant (T32 AG0014).

The author wishes to thank Drs. Lois Verbrugge, Ruth Dunkle, Amy Wagenfeld, and Morton Wagenfeld for their assistance with the study and comments on the manuscript. She is grateful to the social workers who participated in the study.

Address correspondence to Ellen Wagenfeld-Heintz, P.O. Box 19552, Kalamazoo, MI 49006, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

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183 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

“Addressing the spiritual is, then, consistent with social work’s holistic approach which recognizes the significant impact of a myriad of issues (such as gender and ethnicity) in shaping individual experience” (p. 524). Discussing clients’ religious and spiritual beliefs is also consistent with this profession’s support of cultural sensitivity (DeCoster & Burcham, 2002). The current Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards put forth by the Council on Social Work Education states that social work education pro­ grams should include instruction in spiritual development through out the life span (2001).

Through the use of in-depth interviews with clinical social workers who work with the elderly in outpatient and inpatient settings, the research reported here explored the interplay between gerontological clinical social workers’ religious and spiritual beliefs and their choice of profession, and the resulting place of their beliefs in their work. Given the close historical relationship between social work and religion and the present focus in the field on the role of religion and spirituality in professional practice, these are pertinent issues. For example, how does the motivation to enter social work as an extension of religious and spiritual beliefs and values affect interaction with clients?

BACKGROUND

Several studies (Derezotes & Evans, 1995; Gilbert, 2000; Reese, 2001; Sheridan, 2004; Wesley, Tunney, & Duncan, 2004) suggest that between 89% to 100% of social workers surveyed consider it appropriate to ask clients about reli­ gion and spirituality in initial assessments as well as discuss its application to clients’ lives. A study by Nelson-Becker (2005a) compared professionals with a MSW-only to those with a MSW plus a masters degree in divinity/religion. Study results indicated that those in the latter group were more likely to inquire about their clients’ religious views. While an openness and under­ standing of the role religion and spirituality plays in clients’ lives is impor­ tant, DiBlasi (1993) and Dudley and Helfgott (1990), stressed that social workers’ beliefs should remain separate from their therapeutic interventions with clients in order to maintain focus on the clients and respect their autonomy. Practitioners must be aware of their own religious and spiritual beliefs in order to maintain and respect this difference between themselves and clients (Constable, 1983; Mattison, Jayaratne, & Croxton, 2000).

Past research suggests that religion and spirituality play an important role in some social workers’ lives. Between 30–37% reported a belief in God and 24%–39% found a divine dimension in nature (Sheridan, Bullis, Adcock, Berlin, & Miller 1992; Sheridan, Wilmer, & Atcheson, 1994). In addition, between 38.5%–51% attend their place of worship two or more times a month (Burthwick, 1999; Derezotes & Evans, 1995; Mattison et al., 2000;

184 E. Wagenfeld-Heintz

Sheridan et al., 1994; Wesley, Tunney, & Duncan, 2004). Forty-two percent of social workers in Sheridan et al.’s (1994) study of 274 social work educa­ tors in 25 programs in the Southeast reported that they engaged daily in pri­ vate religious or spiritual practices. His 2004 study of licensed social workers in a mid-Atlantic state found that 51% engaged in such practices daily.

It is more typical for a social worker to pray privately for clients (29–68%) (Canda & Furman, 1999; Derezotes, 1995; Sheridan, 2004) than to pray with a client (2.7%–60%) (Canda & Furman; Derezotes, 1995; Mattison et al., 2000; Sheridan, 2004; Wesley et al., 2004). A quarter of social workers sur­ veyed by Wesley et al. reported that they lead clients in prayer. Only one study asked if social workers prayed privately for guidance and results indi­ cated that only one participant reported doing so (Canda, Nakashima, & Furman, 2004).

As discussed above, social workers’ religious and spiritual beliefs and practices may be an integral part of their professional practice. How does this faith relate to choosing social work as a profession? An essay by Taylor & Wolfer (1999) directly addressed this issue. In it, Taylor explored her strug­ gle and eventual resolution to integrate her Christian beliefs and ministry with her social work practice and professional values. She described choos­ ing social work because “For me, social work appeared to be an avenue in which I could live out my faith” (p. 112). This association between religious belief and a career in social work was described by Hugen (2002) with his proposed reintroduction of the calling model that links a religious notion of calling with social work practice. In a similar vein, Singletary (2005) sug­ gested that Christians in social work consider a “model of praxis, whereby faith informs practice and practice informs faith, can improve the personal and professional sense of vocation that we bring to our social work” (p. 57).

In research studies that explored the connection between faith and career, Rompf & Royse (1994) examined whether those who chose social work as a career came from families where religious values were espoused. They reported social work majors (BSW and MSW) were no more likely than English majors to be raised in a home with strong religious values. However, they did not directly ask participants if this was a factor in choos­ ing their profession. Another study surveyed social workers in Utah and Idaho and results indicated that a majority (65%) endorsed the item, “social work is my spiritual ‘path’” (Derezotes, 1995, p. 5). In a previous work, 6 out of 27 participants in a qualitative study of social work students in Can­ ada also indicated that their religious values and/or beliefs influenced their decision to enter social work (Boeschenstein Knighton, 1995).

Only a few articles discussed the role of private religious and spiritual beliefs in determining how social workers practice (Canda, 1988; Constable, 1983; Gilbert, 2000; Mattison et al., 2000; Singletary, 2005; Taylor & Wolfer, 1999). Canda suggested, “The professional relationship must be a genuine

185 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

expression of the social worker’s spiritual commitment to compassion and social justice” (p. 245). Similarly, a survey of members of the National Asso­ ciation of Social Workers (N = 1,283) concluded “the social worker’s religi­ osity affects practice behaviors regardless of race, age, gender or auspices” (Mattison et al. 2000, p. 54). In an article about the relationship between social work values and the profession’s religious roots, Constable (1983) described the supportive role of his religious beliefs in his social work prac­ tice. Participants in a qualitative study of social workers, who were consid­ ered experts in the field of spirituality and social work, also endorsed the importance of their spiritual beliefs in their professional life (Canda, 1988). In fact, some reported that under certain circumstances they would use explicit religious language.

Although social workers in Gilbert’s (2000) focus group study did not share their personal religious and spirituality practices with clients, they dis­ cussed the importance of self- awareness of their beliefs, how it may impact clients, and also of the need to avoid imposing beliefs on clients. This view was echoed by participants in Canda’s 1988 study and by Cascio (1998). Similarly, Murdock (2005) found in her survey of 299 gerontological social workers that almost 50% never shared their religious and spiritual beliefs with clients.

While much literature has addressed social workers’ support of the dis­ cussion and integration of clients’ religious and spiritual beliefs within the context of practice (Derezotes, 1995; Derezotes & Evans, 1995; Dudley & Helfgolt, 1990; Gilbert, 2000; Reese, 2001; Sheridan et al., 1994; Wesley, et al., 2000), few writings discussed how social workers’ religious and spiritual beliefs and values influence their choice of profession and subsequent prac­ tice. This study adds a greater understanding of the role of personal religious and spiritual beliefs and practices in social workers’ interactions with clients.

METHOD

Context of the Study

Data from this study is part of a larger qualitative interview study that com­ pared how gerontological social workers in diverse practice settings approached issues of religion and spirituality with their clients and what interventions were used to discuss these issues. Specifically, that study addressed the following questions:

1. Are there differences in the amount of discussion of religion and spiritu­ ality with clients in various practice settings?

2. Are there practice-setting differences in the content of the discussion of clients’ religious and spiritual issues?

186 E. Wagenfeld-Heintz

3. Are there practice-setting differences in social workers’ comfort with having those topics in their work? and

4. Do social workers differ in their opinion that clients’ religious and spiritual issues belong in social work practice?

Design and Recruitment

Participants in this semi-structured qualitative exploratory study were inter­ viewed between June and October 2004. Approval for the study was granted by The Health Sciences Institutional Review Board at the University of Michigan. Consent forms were obtained from participants prior to the inter­ view. Using an interview guide with open-ended questions, the 30-minute to one-hour semi-structured interviews were completed in the participants’ offices. Interviews were audio taped and professionally transcribed.

Participants for the study were recruited via a nonrandom multiple snowball sampling technique (Babbie, 2001). The snowball was generated through a networking strategy involving contacting colleagues from many different sources to find potential participants or those who might know of potential participants. These included professionals in health and mental health care, as well as professors of social work. In addition, those inter­ viewed were asked if they knew of others who might be interested in the study. Social workers were contacted via phone and e-mail. They were told who suggested their name and given a description of the researcher and study.

The three inclusion criteria for participation in the study were: (1) cur­ rently or have worked at an inpatient or outpatient setting in the past five years, (2) practice in southeast and southwest Michigan, and (3) at least half of clients in the participant’s practice are 60 years or older. This geographic location was chosen because of proximity to the researcher. Given the exploratory nature of the study, location was not as important as gaining preliminary information on the topic. Because of the limited geographic area and difficulty obtaining individuals who were willing to commit 30 to 60 minutes of their busy lives participating in a study, social workers who worked with a mixture of adult and geriatric clients were included in this study. The limitation of this approach is discussed below. Finally, what might be conspicuously absent from this list is a determination of the partic­ ipant’s religiosity or spirituality. Although this study explicitly deals with religion and spirituality, and participants were told of this prior to the inter­ view, I chose to not to make them factors for inclusion because I wanted to obtain a maximum of viewpoints and diversity of perspectives and levels of beliefs. Given the sensitive nature of religion and because the study focusd more on how practice-setting influenced the client’s discussion of religion and spirituality than on the social worker’s beliefs, social workers in this study were not asked explicitly to disclose their respective faith tradition in

187 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

either the recruitment or interview stage. However, as the following text indicates, participants interviewed were asked if they considered themselves members of a certain faith. Many volunteered this information, but it was not probed if not offered. In addition, as seen in Table 1, nine questions addressed the social worker’s religiosity and spirituality.

Questionnaire

An open-ended questionnaire was developed through a multistage process. First, literature was reviewed on the topic and interview questions described in relevant studies were collected. In consort with hypotheses construction, interview questions were written. Three experts in geriatric social work and gerontology at University of Michigan reviewed versions of the question­ naire and were consulted regarding design of the project. The final docu­ ment was the product of five revisions.

The interview guide asked 29 questions that covered the following: (1) the respondent’s current practice; (2) religion/spirituality and professional practice; (3) own religiosity and spirituality; (4) academic training; (5) demographic information; and (6) a chance to discuss areas that participant thought important but not addressed in the interview.

The terms “religion” and “spirituality” have many definitions (Larson, Swyers, & McCullough 1998; Fetzer Institute/National Institute on Aging Working Group, 1999; Remen, 1999; Koenig, McCullough, & Larson, 2001). For this project, I adopted the definitions put forth by the Fetzer Institute/ National Institute on Aging Working Group (1999):

TABLE 1 Religiosity and Spirituality of Participants

Question N

A relationship with God or higher power is important in my life. 16 I consider myself a certain faith. 16 I attend church or synagogue weekly. 8 I attend church or synagogue monthly or less. 8 I do not attend church or synagogue. 4 I am very involved with my church or synagogue.a 4 I am moderately involved with my church or synagogue. 5 I am not involved with my church or synagogue. 6 I pray or engage in another spiritual practice daily. 14 I pray or engage in another spiritual practice once a week. 1 I pray or engage in another spiritual practice a few times a year. 2 I do not pray or engage in another spiritual practice at all. 3 I pray, meditate, or engage in a spiritual practice before sessions. 12 I do not pray, meditate, or engage in a spiritual practice before sessions. 8

aThis category does not equal 20 because it is not applicable to 5 participants who do not attend church or synagogue.

188 E. Wagenfeld-Heintz

religiousness has specific behavioral, social, doctrinal, and denomina­ tional characteristics because it involves a system of worship and doc­ trine that is shared within a group. Spirituality is concerned with the transcendent, addressing ultimate questions about life’s meaning, with the assumption that there is more to life than what we see or fully understand. Spirituality can call us beyond self to concern and compas­ sion for others. While religions aim to foster and nourish the spiritual life—and spirituality is often a salient aspect of religious participation—it is possible to adopt the outward forms of religious worship and doctrine without having a strong relationship to the transcendent. (p. 2)

Description of Participants

Social workers came from a variety of inpatient (N = 10) and outpatient (N = 10) settings. Social workers practicing in inpatient settings worked in hospice (5), hospital (rehabilitation, geriatric center, adult medical unit) (3), nursing home (1), and adult foster care (1). The locations of employment for outpatient social workers were hospital-based outpatient therapy (3), Neighborhood Senior Ser­ vices (2), community mental health (2), Area Agency on Aging (1), Alzheimer’s Association (1), and Geriatric Assessment Team (1). The majority of participants (n = 8) were between 46 and 55 years old, although they ranged from the 26–35 to 66+ age categories. Given that social work is a female-dominated pro­ fession, it is not surprising that all of the participants in this study were female. In addition, all participants were Caucasian. This was not intentional and the limitations of this are discussed below. All were certified by the State of Michigan. One participant had a doctoral degree, 15 were MSWs, and four had bachelor degrees. Length of time practicing ranged from two to 49 years. Eleven of the 20 participants practiced ten years or longer.

Procedure—Card Sorting Method and Analysis

Using an inductive method of research, the researcher looked for themes and patterns in the data that addressed the issue of faith and the practice of social work. Answers to each interview question were transferred to a card with a summary of the response, brief interpretation, and contradictions. Each card was first sorted into piles of answers to the same interview ques­ tion. They were then further sorted to determine patterns in answers among the participants and how the theme connected with the larger question of the study: how does the motivation to enter social work as an extension of religious and spiritual beliefs and values affect interaction with clients?

Craftsmanship is a term used by Kvale (1996) as an alternative to validity. It entails checking facts, questioning one’s assumptions, having a theory about what has been learned, and a relationship among phenomena (Kvale, p. 241). Open-ended interviews can meet the criteria of craftsmanship,

189 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

given that attention is paid to interviewer affect, interview bias, and assump­ tions, and protocols are put in place to eliminate these sources of error. Craftsmanship was maintained to the extent that each transcript was read multiple times by the author and ideas were continually checked against the transcripts for accuracy and adequacy. In addition, the researcher listened to each tape to verify the accuracy of transcription and to fill-in sections of the interview the transcriptionist was unable to understand. Finally, the instru­ ment itself was reviewed by outside experts in the field of gerontological social work to ensure craftsmanship.

RESULTS

As noted, through the use of semi-structured interviews, 20 gerontological social workers from southern Michigan who work or recently worked in outpa­ tient and inpatient settings discussed the role of their religious and spiritual beliefs in choosing social work as a profession and how these beliefs influence the way they work with clients. Specifically, these interviews addressed the way religious values and beliefs influence some social workers’ choice of this pro­ fession and how it intertwines with social work values is described. Next, ways in which religious and spiritual beliefs support social workers in their practice are discussed. Finally, ways in which religious and spiritual beliefs are kept in the foreground or background of professional practice are explored.

Although not screened for this attribute prior to interview, 70% of par­ ticipants said a relationship with God or higher power was important in their respective lives. This is a greater proportion than reported in the litera­ ture. (See Table 1 for other measures of religiosity.)

Religious Values and Beliefs Influenced Choice of Social Work

Four participants (#5, #8, #9, and #19) in the study reported consciously choosing social work as an outgrowth of her religious beliefs and values. Echoing the desires of the founders of the profession, and a current core value of the profession, selecting social work as a career choice was done out of a desire to help others and a strong belief in the value of social jus­ tice (Council on Social Work Education, 2001; National Association of Social Workers, 1999; Reamer, 2006).

I think there is a connection. It’s, you know, one of many factors that went into my decision to do social work . . . I wanted to be helpful to people and I think that was part of my value system that was formed by my upbringing, my spiritual education was that . . . you try not to hurt people and [laughs], you know, do something that’s gonna benefit the world and not make it more of a mess. (#19)

190 E. Wagenfeld-Heintz

Another social worker (#5) described the relationship between issues of social justice taught in her church and BSW program. She made a clear connection between her religion and spirituality and all her life roles. For her they are intertwined.

What motivated me to be a social worker—and here’s the influence. I was taught by wonderful Franciscan nuns, [laughs] who were joyful and there was a steady stream about justice. . . . These dear Franciscans who so much worked with this value of justice, it’s been a motivating force for my choice for social work. I focus on being a whole person who brings out who I am to everything that I do.

This social worker (#8), who is involved in a lay ministry program in her church, also described a direct connection between her faith and choice of social work. Like others, she was clear to point out that she maintains firm boundaries with clients.

In other words, I feel that my choice of social work, and working with elderly and families is the way I live out my faith, in what I can give back to people. It doesn’t mean I go marching around and saying I’m doing this because I am a you know this or whatever.

Religious and Spiritual Values and Beliefs Intertwine with Social Work Values

Although there was no direct connection noted between faith and choice of pro­ fession, for other social workers their self-defined religious and spiritual beliefs did influence current work in terms of: doing good works (#2), making the world a better place/social justice (#5, #7, #8, #15, and #18), helping others and help others help themselves (#10, #15, and #17), and facilitating a deeper under­ standing of clients (#12). These views are illustrated by social workers who worked in community mental health settings with the chronically mentally ill.

You know, I’m a Christian whether I’m a social worker or not. I’m here on earth to help other people and to be a positive influence to make this place a better place to live. But, at the same time, being a social worker, that’s exactly what I do, too. Just trying to make this a better place for people to live. (#7)

Later she went on to add:

I mean I didn’t go into this field thinking, Oh, I’m a Christian, I need to go help people. That wasn’t—you know—I just kind of went into it because it was really interesting. And—the older I get, I’m thinking—it just goes together, it’s like a flow in my life.

191 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

This view was echoed by another social worker.

I think to some degree I’ve always, you know, felt that it was important to help people and to do what I can to make society a better place, you know. And part of being a Christian is to, you know, love one another and to treat people with respect and just to lead a good life and I think part of that draws me to social work . . . so I think they lend themselves together very well because to me that’s what being a Christian is about, you know. (#15)

One social worker (#13) noted that altruism (helping others, giving, and making others’ lives better) was part of her spiritual values. This reso­ nated with the core values of social work, which include advocacy, self- determination, and self-worth. Another (#14) remarked that:

I’m Jewish and I’m a social worker. I think there’s a strong link between being a social worker. I think that the values of the religion are very similar to the values of social work.

A similar sentiment was articulated by another participant (#18).

I think I’ve been fortunate to find work that has allowed me to act out my concerns for the inequity in the world . . . without a religious edge to it. With more of an opportunity to change what is not right.

The ability to understand clients’ better came out of this social worker’s (#12) religious and spiritual beliefs.

I mean I feel like it [spiritual beliefs] is all kind of intertwines, with the kind of work that I do. And so I think it just gives me a better perspec­ tive when I’m working with my client. And as a person, I would think.

Finally, one social worker (#5) remarked that although she does not think it is proper to speak of her beliefs in therapy, part of those beliefs is to:

honor what other people believe what’s important to them and in my role as a social worker, facilitating, partnering with them, whatever most gets them life and strength and energy and a sense of self.

A similar comment was made by a social worker (#17) who worked in a nursing home:

I try to just instill the kindness and instill the dignity upon the residents and, in a way that show [pause] that I am a child of God.

192 E. Wagenfeld-Heintz

This is reflective of the professional value of respecting clients’ self- determination and spiritual autonomy (Council on Social Work Education, 2001; National Association of Social Workers, 1999; Reamer, 2006).

Religious and Spiritual Beliefs Support Participant in Social Work Practice

Keep Social Worker Grounded. Several social workers (#3, #5, #6, #7, #15, #16, and #19) answered the question, “What do you think is the proper place for your own religious and spiritual beliefs in your work with clients?” that these beliefs served as a source of support for the difficult work they do.

And to do the work that I do, for me, it’s essential to be grounded and to nourish my spirit. (#5)

. . . that [religious and spiritual beliefs] keeps me moral, and compas­ sionate, empathetic, in that way it’s brought in. (#6)

Keeps me grounded. So because I’m not working out of emotion, I’m able to be, in a certain sense, detached when I need to be, so that I can give them the type of support and empowerment that they need, not what I want. (#3, emphasis in original)

As illustrated below, it is also foundation that they do not readily share with clients.

I really try to focus on what their [clients’] beliefs are. Whether I believe what they do or not. But for me, as the social worker, I believe I have to have spirituality to survive in this profession. We see so many things that are very tragic, very traumatic, that without it, I don’t think I could do the work that I do. (#16)

Prayer for Guidance and Grounding. A large number of social workers (#1, #11, #12, #15, #16, #17, #18, and #19) described engaging in prayer or another type of focusing practice before sessions as being helpful to cen­ ter themselves, especially before dealing with a difficult situation. For sev­ eral, this involved asking for guidance. As reflected in the examples below, prayer or asking for guidance was a way to deal with challenges of the profession.

[I pray] Several times a day. [Laughs] In my car, on the way someplace, before group, before, you know. If it was a particularly difficult client and I need help, you know, just those kinds of things. A lot in my car. [Laughs] (#15)

193 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

I: And during the day what would be a reason maybe during the day you might pray?

P: Oh, just having a bad day and needing some--some calmness and direction because this is a very difficult job to deal with at times. (#17)

One type of guidance sought after (#3, #5, and #13) was the ability to stay focused on the client’s needs and issues and not cross a professional boundary line.

Sometimes for different individuals, I find it very important to be very balanced. So that I can deal with what it is that they’re dealing with. Not that I deal with it, but so that they have my personal interaction isn’t influencing how they’re able to deal with their changes. So, sometimes for me it’s really important to be very balanced, very open, so that I’m not crossing that boundary line of professional and personal and not bringing in my personal feeling about a situation. (#3)

Before seeing a client, what I do is open - and I consider prayer [to be a way to open], I intentionally open myself to be present to this person. It’s a way for me to ground to practice active presence. Listening to the person I’m with. Really wanting to give my full attention to the person I’m with. (#5)

Another example of the intertwining of faith and work among the social workers was the ever present sense of Spirit.

Sometimes you might have a certain situation where you’re having a really hard time and you know, I might say like, “Please help me make it through this,” because I know this is going to be difficult. But I just don’t give it that much thought, because I feel like it’s [being spiritual and God’s presence] always there with me. (#12)

Sometimes [I pray for guidance] outside the door before I head in. There’s some tough times. So, I probably sometimes, without even [being] conscious I’m doing this, but I know I get help when I ask for help. I think it’s just a part of who I am, and I’ve doing for a number of years, working in difficult situations, and aware that—that is a line I use. (#18)

More than simply praying for guidance, several social workers (#1, #5, #7, #8, and #12) described praying to fulfill God’s will.

I pray before I go off for the day. [Laughs] That, that day I’ll be able to both give and assist those that are not things that I can do myself, but I can help facilitate whatever is needed, and be appropriate. . . . [During the day you can] stop what you’re doing and - and just have a thought—it

194 E. Wagenfeld-Heintz

doesn’t have to be a formalized prayer. But that can be just asking for strength and just asking for some peace for this person. (#8)

If I knew a situation was coming up and I was going to have to petition a client, or if I had to go do a home visit and I knew that they now were not well, and might be like physically aggressive or something. I would definitely pray for some guidance and direction and support in dealing with the situation appropriately. Appropriately meaning the way that God wants me to. (#7)

This participant later commented that God’s will and the agency’s goals are the same. That is, they both want to “to keep the client safe and to give them the help that they need.”

Three participants (#2, #4, and #6) noted that prayer is not part of their workday.

Religious and Spiritual Practices in the Background During Therapy

As described in the preceding section, praying silently to oneself enabled some social workers to draw upon their faith while not imposing them on clients. Even among those for whom private prayer was a regular part of their workday, several participants (#1, #4, #6, and #16) stressed the impor­ tance of keeping personal beliefs separate from professional behavior.

I think I’m free to believe what I want but it’s not my place to direct my clients. I mean, their beliefs are their beliefs and I need to honor what­ ever their beliefs are. You know, I don’t have to necessarily agree with them but I can honor it. (#1)

Because see, that’s where I have to draw the line—boundary profession­ ally and personally. Just because I might have all these other personal beliefs doesn’t mean that that should in any way, professionally touch the other individual. (#3)

Two social workers (#4 and #6) were more explicit about maintaining this separation. It was part of their personal life, but not professional life, especially because the practice settings were secular.

Religious and Spiritual Practices in the Foreground During Therapy

Pray for Clients if Asked. Three social workers (#10, #15, and #19) reported being asked to pray for their clients. They stated that this was a comfortable

195 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

request because clients and their well-being are on their minds. Being asked to do so fit with clients’ faith system (to be prayed for) and was another way social workers could support clients and maintain a client-focused session. Prayer, therefore, assumed a middle-ground position in that it allowed social workers to express their beliefs while still adhering to the norms of the profession to keep explicit expressions of their faith out of the session. After answering “yes” to the question, “Have you had clients ask you to pray for them?” and that this is something with which she is comfortable, she elaborated:

And there are times when I’ve left a room, and have said to client, “Well, you’ll be in my thoughts and in my prayers.” You know, just because I know what they’re going through is very, very difficult. And I do. You know, I carry many of these people home with me. I really do. I’ll keep them in my thoughts and in my prayers. (#16)

One social worker (#10) noted that clients do not ask her to pray with them, although she is comfortable with them asking her to pray for them. Another (#20) said clients do not ask her to pray with or for them, although she would be fine with it.

Pray with Clients if Requested. Four social workers (#1, #3, #6, and #13) were comfortable praying with clients, if asked to do so. As seen in the following statements what was most important is following the clients’ lead and not initiating which would constitute a professional ethics and boundary violation.

I: So sometimes you’re [praying] out loud but mostly quietly.

P: Right. I’m out loud if it’s someone that I know that that was part of who they were, but I would keep it quiet if it’s someone that I don’t know much about. And again, it’s part of that--it’s not my job to influence them. My job is to go with them whichever way they would like. (#1)

(#3): P: Others [clients] are a little bit more discrete. Some want you to pray with them. Some are very private. And that would be probably as equal as it is out in the community. The differences that you meet on the street is what we have here. And so being a social worker, the idea is I am where they are. I don’t bring them to where I am. I respect and prac­ tice how they feel comfortable. (emphasis in original)

Other variations on praying with clients were leading the prayer if requested by the client (#8, #15), praying with but not leading the prayer (#16), and joining in with the client (#5).

Initiating Prayer. A clear division between social workers in this study was comfort level in terms of initiating prayer. Only one social worker

196 E. Wagenfeld-Heintz

stated that under certain circumstances she would offer to pray with a cli­ ent. She did not see this as inappropriate but rather a way to join with the client by offering to say the Our Father.

[I ask] only when they’ve sort of gone in such a direction that it seems appropriate to mention it and it’s sort of a way of bonding with them and letting them know that I acknowledge how much pain they are in, not just physically, but emotionally it’s a struggle to die for most people. (#1)

One social worker (#6) explicitly stated that she does not think that if asked, it is professional to lead the prayer: “I would probably redirect it so that it was their doing. So, no, I wouldn’t feel comfortable in a work envi­ ronment leading a prayer. No.”

LIMITATIONS

There are several limitations in this exploratory study. First, by nature of its design, an exploratory, qualitative study has limited generalizability. In addition, because of its small size, and geographic limitations, there was not heterogeneity in the race of participants. Given the findings that suggest African Americans have a higher level of subjective and objective religiosity than whites (Beeghley, Velsor, & Bock, 1981; Jacobson, Heaton, & Dennis, 1990; Taylor, Mattis, & Chatters, 1999) this omission could have affected the findings. Finally, again due to the limited pool of potential respondents and time constraints, only half of the participants’ clients were over 60 years old. Because the study focused on social workers who work with the elderly, it would have been more focused to interview those who work exclusively with clients who are 60 years and older.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This exploratory study investigated the connection both between geronto­ logical social workers’ faith and their choice of social work, and how these beliefs and values informed their professional life. Although the beneficial role faith can play in social workers’ professional practice was briefly and/or tan­ gentially explored in previous studies, this issue was the focus of this article.

Perhaps this dimension of social work practice has been underinvesti­ gated because at one point the field turned away from its religious roots in order to be considered a profession, and for a time religion and spirituality were taboo topics in this field. In addition, valid concerns about therapists not setting adequate boundaries with clients and proselytizing related issues could also, in part, explain this phenomenon.

197 Faith and Its Application to Social Work

These concerns were not supported among those interviewed for this study. All therapists articulated that they set boundaries with clients. Rarely did they express their religious and spiritual views with clients, and when they did so it was only in generic ways and for the purpose of supporting clients who already disclosed that they had such beliefs. This was the case with practitioners motivated to enter the field by religious and spiritual values, as well as those who made a connection between their work and their religious and spiritual beliefs. Similarly, the majority of participants described prayer as a private matter, used to keep them centered and focused on the client.

As evident in the Background section and echoed by participants in this study, social workers realize the importance of recognizing both the positive and negative role that religion and spirituality plays in the lives of some clients. Similarly, the profession needs to acknowledge its positive force in some therapists’ lives and how their faith supports them in doing this challenging work, as evidenced by the reports of social workers in this study. For example, praying so that one could be of help to the client or for strength to handle a situation was often described.

Perhaps strategies incorporating one’s faith and beliefs into the context of clinical work, as articulated by participants in this study, could effectively be used by those with similar resources. Successfully, respectfully, and sen­ sitively incorporating one’s personal faith and spirituality into clinical prac­ tice may be a timely topic for supervisors to discuss with their employees given the number of social workers in this study and previous studies who endorsed measures of religiosity and spirituality.

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