From the Inside Out: Social Workers’ Expectations for Integrating Religion and Spirituality in Practice

Abstract

To better understand how social work students and recent alumnae integrate spirituality and religion in clinical practice, this study employed a photovoice research method whereby participants considered prompt questions. Participants then photographed an accompanying response and subsequently revealed the rationale behind the image during an interview. The findings of this work include interviewees’ consideration of their personal values and beliefs, particularly in relationship to professional expectations and social work values. Additionally, participants noted the need for cultural competence in order to better serve diverse consumers. A lack of knowledge can generate religious discrimination, potentially restricting the quality of service delivery.

KEYWORDS:

• spirituality
• religion
• social work
• photovoice
• cultural competence
• religious discrimination
• Christianity