SWK 300 - Spirituality and the Helping Profession

The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive introduction to culturally competent social work practice around the area of religion and spirituality. This course will explore contemporary issues related to spirituality, religion, and social work. Students will learn about the history of spirituality and religion in helping professions and major social movements in the United States. Students will also learn about the views of religion and spirituality in social work and the history of how these areas have been explored or supported by our profession. Students will also learn about discipline appropriate boundaries with their own personal religious, spiritual, or nonreligious views and client interactions. Until recently, it has been considered taboo for social workers to discuss these issues with clients, despite the importance a client might place on religion or spirituality in their personal lives. Through this course, the controversy and opposing views on this topic will be explored. Culturally competent practices will be examined in working with individuals and groups from religious, non-religious, and spiritual perspectives. Marginalized and oppressed populations, including religious minorities and specific populations will be discussed throughout this course. Social workers and other helping professions regularly come into contact with people who have a wide range of religious and spiritual traditions that are often different than that of the professional. Social workers have a responsibility to view the whole person, and to treat that person as a whole person. Religion and spirituality can be intrinsically tied to someone’s cultural identity and impact every aspect of their life. Someone’s religious, spiritual, or nonreligious views or traditions may also play a significant role in their personal wellbeing and their views on their world. This course will explore religious, spiritual, and nonreligious traditions and how they impact a person or group’s life. Culturally sensitive practice and assessment will be explored in this course. Through our text, reading articles, and immersion assignments students will be exposed to wide range of religious, spiritual, and nonreligious traditions in an effort to increase cultural competency in the realm of spirituality and religion. This should give future social workers a strong foundation for culturally competent and spiritually sensitive practice with clients from any spiritual or religious tradition.