Volume 1, Number 4 - Autumn 2006
In This Issue: Spirituality
The role of spirituality in a person’s life across the life course is an area of rapidly growing interest in social work education and practice. When interacting with elders, recognizing the dimension of spirituality is especially important in understanding the person as a whole. This issue suggests some creative ways to infuse aging and spirituality into your teaching.
Infusing Religion and Spirituality into the Gerontological Social Work Curriculum
Holly Nelson-Becker, University of Kansas
Understanding the influence of spirituality in the lives of many older adults creates a spiritually-sensitive practice.
Reflections on Spirituality and Gero Social Work
Gary Behrman, Saint Louis University
Childhood experiences inform how one professor incorporates spirituality into his courses.
New Faculty Development Opportunities
Take the Gero-Ed Center's First eLearning Course Today!
The Center has just launched its first eLearning course A Planned Change Model.
CEUs available for the Gero-Ed Institute at BPD
Don’t miss the next Institute Bridging the Borders and Building Ties Between Aging and Cultural Diversity at BPD in LA.
Gero-Ed Forum Preliminary Schedule Online - Register Today!
Register today for the Gero-Ed Forum, February 2-4 in Charleston, SC, which will have many great events.
Gero-Ed Center Updates
New Monograph: Achieving Curricular and Organizational Change
Center Holds Meetings on Gero in MSW Advanced Curriculum
Infusing Religion and Spirituality into the Gerontological Social Work Curriculum
By Holly Nelson-Becker
Religion and spirituality are especially meaningful dimensions in the lives of many older adults. I learned that very clearly when I worked as a clinical social worker on a geriatric psych team in the early and mid 1990s. Often clients who were referred to me for depression and anxiety preferred to ask me about the meaning of their life now that their children no longer spoke with them or why God had allowed them to have a new diagnosis of cancer on top of all their other losses. In fact, 59% of Americans over age 18 indicate religion is “very important” in their daily lives while 73% of the subgroup of adults age 65 or older report religion as “very important” (Carroll, 2004). Older adults define themselves in part around the dimensions of religion and/or sometimes spirituality, both why they are important or not important to them (Nelson-Becker, 2003).
A treasure trove of data on religion and Americans is available from the Association of Religion Data Archives (http://www.thearda.com), which draws from well-known national surveys to make available both summary reports and raw data on areas such as denominational affiliation and religious beliefs. For example, a 2005 national survey reports that 61% of the population “absolutely” believes in angels. This of course has implications for social workers who may interact with such clients. Beyond the issues of religious or spiritual beliefs, experiences, ethical values, practices, and group affiliations, a key concern for social work is to discern how religion and spirituality function in the lives of older adults—either in a supportive or discouraging way. One way to do so is to help students understand how to engage in a conversation around these issues.
The goal of a spiritually-sensitive conversation is not to press one point of view or another, but rather to listen to and hear the profound questions clients bring about their life experiences. The social worker should demonstrate openness to all expressions of grief, longing, confusion, and joy that emanate from human experience. Spiritually-sensitive practice involves the ability to recognize and respond to these expressions. It is a hearing of the heart, an ability to hear stories of pain and hope and to highlight for clients important themes of which they may not be fully aware. My colleagues and I suggest four preliminary questions that may be used for assessment in these conversations as well as eleven domains of spirituality particularly applicable to older adults (Nelson-Becker, Nakashima & Canda, 2006). The preliminary questions are:
- What helps you to experience a deep sense of meaning, purpose, and moral perspective in your life?
- Is spirituality, religion, or faith important in your life? If so, please give examples. If not, please explain why they are not important.
- If important to you, what terms do you prefer?
- Would you like to incorporate spirituality, religion or faith in our work together? Please explain.
Learning how to address religion and spirituality forms one facet of competent practice with older adults. The substantive area of religion and spirituality with seniors can be infused in direct practice classes as one expression of diversity. It can be addressed through discussion of its general importance to many older adults. Research classes can incorporate data from the archives identified above, and policy classes can consider whether and how federal policies such as Medicare/Medicaid/Hospice support holistic treatment with older adults that reference their spiritual beliefs. These are just a few of the many methods for addressing this content area related to older adults.
Dr. Holly Nelson-Becker is an assistant professor of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas and is a former Hartford Faculty Scholar. She has published several articles and book chapters on spirituality and aging and has co-authored a book on the subject.
References
Carroll, J. (2004). Religion is “very important” to 6 in 10 Americans. The Gallup Poll: Tuesday Briefing, June 24.
Nelson-Becker, H. (2003). Practical philosophies: Interpretations of religion and spirituality by African-American and Jewish elders. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 14(2/3), 85-99.
Nelson-Becker, H., Nakashima, M. & Canda, E. R. (2006). Spirituality in Professional Helping Interventions. In B. Berkman & S. D’Ambruoso (Eds.), Oxford handbook of social work, health, and aging (pp.797-807). Boston: Oxford Press.
Reflections on Spirituality and Gero Social Work
By Gary Behrman
The seeds of my interests in gero-social work and spirituality were planted in my childhood. Having the luxury of growing up near my paternal grandparents’ dairy farm and my maternal grandparents’ family business, I was constantly involved in the lives of both grandparents. I found joy and satisfaction working side by side with these heroic figures, learning how to milk a cow and gather chicken eggs and how to stock shelves and serve the customer with hospitality and respect. The legacy my grandparents provided can be found today in the handmade quilt both of my grandmothers stitched and in the deep spiritual values that inform my vocation as a gero-social worker.
It is my perspective that caring for our aging populations and teaching those who will be providing this care requires a “shift from a focus on the etiology of disease to the etiology of health” (Ungar, 2005, p. xvi). Paying attention to strengths in others is “not the cheerful disregard of one’s difficult and traumatic life experiences; neither is it the naïve discounting of life’s pains. It is, rather, the ability to bear up in spite of these ordeals.” (Saleeby, 1997, p. 9) Teaching students how to surface what aging men and women perceive as strengths in addressing their multiple challenges may illuminate what is sometimes ignored - that our elders possess a wealth of knowledge, skills and values embedded in their spiritual and religious beliefs regarding what keeps them resilient amidst adverse environmental crises.
I integrate spiritually-sensitive social work in my MSW practice courses by inviting older persons to class to tell their stories of spiritual strengths and religious resources that are invaluable in old age. We also visit a convent of older Catholic religious women, dine with them, tour their facilities and learn about their legacy of social services. Together, we talk about stages of faith development and how their faith and spiritual journeys informed their lives of service. As a class, we process what are the implications for practice, policy development and research, and I expose students to the rapidly expanding literature that combines social work and spirituality issues.(Canda, Nakashima, Burgess, Russel, Barfield, 2003; Scales, Wolfer, Sherwood, Garland, Hugen, Pittman, 2002; Van Hook, Hugen, Aguilar, 2001).
There are also many ways I personally practice as a spiritually-sensitive gero-social worker. Currently, I am traveling around the state of Missouri instructing social workers with the skills, knowledge and values needed to provide spiritually-sensitive social work assessment and services for aging populations. My current dissertation explores the effects of childhood sexual abuse in old age and the role of spirituality in addressing these effects. I continue to find joy and meaning in my career, realizing that I too will someday know the challenges and gifts of old age.
Gary Behrman, MSW, PhD candidate at SUNY-Albany is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School at Saint Louis University, and also teaches in the School of Social Work.
References
Canda, E., Nakashima, M., Burgess, V., Russel, R., Barfield, S. (2003). Spiritual diversity and social work: A comprehensive bibliography with annotations. 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education
Saleebey, D. (Ed.) (1997). 2nd Edition The strength’s perspective in social work practice. New York: Longman.
Scales, T., Wolfer, T., Sherwood, D., Garland, D., Hugen, B., Pittman, S. (2002). Spirituality and religion in social work practice. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education
Ungar, M. & Teram, E. (2005). Qualitative resilience research. In: Ungar, M. (Ed.). 2005. Handbook for working with children and youth: Pathways to resilience across cultures and contexts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.
Van Hook, M., Hugen, B., Aguilar, M. (2001). Spirituality within religious traditions in social work practice. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole
Take the Gero-Ed Center's First eLearning Course Today!
The CSWE Gero-Ed Center is pleased to announce the launch of its first eLearning course A Planned Change Model: Preparing Gerontologically-Competent Graduates. This comprehensive, interactive course provides the tools you need to infuse and sustain gerontological competencies in your foundation curriculum, preparing your students to work with the growing number of older adults. These tools include a wealth of practical, ready-to-use resources, such as interactive worksheets for applying concepts to your program, customizable Action Plans for implementing planned change in your social work program, and an extensive bibliography on course concepts.
Within the overall planned change model, the eLearning course introduces our infusion approach to curricular and organizational change, which can be adapted to the inclusion of other substantive content areas as well. In addition, the course provides a conceptual framework for Competency-Based Education, a future direction for social work.
Even if you’ve already been involved in trainings on our planned change model, we encourage you to take this comprehensive course to refresh and re-energize your curricular change efforts.
If you are unsure about taking an eLearning course, we encourage you to first try our free introductory course What Will You Be Doing in 2020? Then, enroll in A Planned Change Model. CSWE members can take this course at the special discounted rate of $75 ($95 for non-members).
Enroll today!
Visit Us at Upcoming Conferences
CSWE Gero-Ed Center staff will demonstrate this new eLearning course at the following upcoming conferences:
- BPD – October 25-29, CSWE Booth in the Exhibit Hall
- GSA - November 16-20, Hartford GSWI Booth in the Exhibit Hall
CEUs available for the Gero-Ed Institute at BPD
A limited number of spaces are still open for the Gero-Ed Institute to be held at the BPD Annual Meeting. Don’t miss Bridging the Borders and Building Ties Between Aging and Cultural Diversity on October 25, 2006, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Los Angeles, CA. Gero-Ed Expert Trainers for this Institute are Dr. Sadhna Diwan and Gary Behrman.
To register, please contact Ashley Brooks-Danso at abrooks@cswe.org. Registration will also be available for this event on-site in LA at the BPD registration booth. Registration fee: $25.00, to be paid with BPD conference registration.
For more information and a full description of this educational opportunity, please visit our Web site.
Gero-Ed Forum Preliminary Schedule Online - Register Today!
The preliminary schedule for the 2007 Gero-Ed Forum, to be held February 2-4 in Charleston, SC, is now available on the Gero-Ed Center’s Web site: www.Gero-EdCenter.org. Just added - presenter names.
With the theme “Infusing Gerontology Across the Classroom & Field: Planning, Implementing and Resourcing,” the Forum will focus solely on providing all faculty with the opportunity to be part of the national movement to “gerontologize” social work education.
Registration is Open!
The Gero-Ed Forum requires its own registration, with a modest registration fee ($150 for CSWE Members). Space is limited—register today!
Gero-Ed Forum Highlights
- Keynote speech by “Gidget” (Kathy Zuckerman) of international surfing fame at the Kick-Off on Friday, February 2.
- Stump the Funder – your chance to learn more about grant funding from foundation executives on Sunday, February 4.
- A Showcase event and reception featuring best practices in faculty infusion efforts from across the country.
- Intensive workshop sessions, two other general sessions—all of which will focus on the deliverables.
- Ample opportunities for exchanging resources and small group problem-solving related to gero curricular change.
New Monograph: Achieving Curricular and Organizational Change
The new monograph from the Gero-Ed Center, Achieving Curricular and Organizational Change: Impact of the CSWE Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education Project, is a rich compendium of strategies, lessons learned and teaching resources for gero infusion. This monograph will be available at the BPD, GSA and Gero-Ed Forum conferences and on the Gero-Ed Center Web site (www.Gero-EdCenter.org) in late October.
Center Holds Meetings on Gero in MSW Advanced Curriculum
This summer, the Gero-Ed Center sponsored two forums, one on each coast, focused on ways to increase gerontology in MSW advanced content in the specialized areas of health, mental health and substance abuse. Experts from these substantive areas identified curricular and research needs and strategies to promote gero content within courses and field sites focused on health, mental health or substance abuse. Based on these meetings and under the leadership of Dr. Sadhna Diwan, San Jose State University, a proposal for the MSW Advanced Curriculum Project within the Gero-Ed Center will go to the Hartford Trustees in December 2006.