Faith, Spirituality, and Religiosity
Over 400 social work professionals joined us in the Hinckley Center on Nov. 15, 2024, for the 19th Annual Social Work Conference. An important outcome of the conference was for professionals to understand the rationale and ethical responsibility to integrate religion and spirituality into this mental health profession.
The conference aimed to highlight the vital role of spirituality within the social work profession, offer evidence-based interventions and treatments for clients who express interest in spirituality, and foster cultural awareness of the many different beliefs and practices of religion and spirituality. The event featured three distinguished speakers who brought profound insights to the intersection of spirituality and social work.
Altaf Husain, associate professor and chair of the Community, Administration, and Policy Practice at Howard University School of Social Work, opened his remarks on “Striving for Religious & Spiritual Competence: One Client & Community at a Time” by expressing gratitude to several individuals by name. This approach tied his remarks to the Muslum teaching that “one who is not thankful to people is not thankful to God.”
David R. Hodge, Fulbright Scholar and a professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University, titled his remarks “Spiritual Assessment in Clinical Practice: Rationales, Approaches, and Interventions.” He drew a meaningful distinction between spirituality and religion, defining spirituality as a broader concept encompassing an individual’s personal, subjective relationship with God or, more broadly, the sacred or the transcendent.
Holly Oxhandler, associate professor and associate dean at Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work, presented “The Soul of the Social Worker: An Ethical Call for Self-Awareness Within Spiritually Sensitive Social Work Practice.” She shared her deeply personal story of overcoming a painful childhood with the help of her faith and a skilled mental health counselor. She shared this thought from Richard Rohr: “If we do not transform our pain, we will most assuredly transmit it— often to those closest to us: our family, our neighbors, our co-workers, and, invariably, the most vulnerable, our children.” Participant evaluations described the topic and presentations as eye-opening. Many felt excited, inspired, and better prepared to incorporate client spirituality into therapy.