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Religion and Spirituality as Resources: Working with Religious Professionals and Organizations

Religion and Spirituality as Resources: Working with Religious Professionals and Organizations. Joyce Ann Mercer, Ph.D., M.S.W., LCSW, M.Div. Professor of Practical Theology Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA. Disclosures of Potential Conflicts. Learning Objectives:.

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Religion and Spirituality as Resources: Working with Religious Professionals and Organizations

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  1. Religion and Spirituality as Resources: Working with Religious Professionals and Organizations Joyce Ann Mercer, Ph.D., M.S.W., LCSW, M.Div. Professor of Practical Theology Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA

  2. Disclosures of Potential Conflicts

  3. Learning Objectives: • Attendees will become aware of the wide variety of education, professional backgrounds, work settings, job descriptions and services offered by clergy/religious professionals. • Attendees will develop appreciation of the varying degrees of respect and authority accorded to religious professionals and institutions by different major world faith traditions, ethnic groups, and cultural settings.

  4. Learning Objectives, continued • 3. Attendees will become familiar with the wide range of social and support services for children and families offered through many community religious organizations. • 4. Attendees will learn practical strategies for increasing collaboration between medical and mental heal clinicians and clergy and religious organizations on behalf of children and families.

  5. Rabbi Chaplain Imam Sister DEACON swami GURU father Reverend TEACHER Director of Religious Education cantor Spiritual Director Parish Nurse BrotherPRIESTShaman EvangelistABBOT Who and What are clergy and religious Professionals?

  6. Often connected to identity, race, ethnicity Religion and Spirituality as Worldview: • Narrative • Belief system includes practices

  7. Clergy: persons ordained or otherwise set apart for religious leadership • Education, training, and/or expertise within a particular faith tradition • Endorsed for leadership by faith community • Authority conferred by religious / ethno-religious community

  8. Types of Religious Professionals • Community clergy in congregations, synagogues, mosques, local houses of worship • Chaplains in hospitals and other institutions • Pastoral counselors • Educators and teachers

  9. Common Terms & Titles: • Rabbi • Priest • Minister • Imam • Pastor • Swami • Guru • Pastoral Counselor • CPE Supervisor • Reverend • Pastor • Father/Mother • Sister/Brother • Elder • Chaplain • Deacon • Cantor

  10. Work of RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS

  11. Clergy in North America • 600,000 clergy of various Christian denominations in North America • 4000 rabbis • Unknown numbers of Muslim leaders • Multiple Others: LDS (Mormon), Native American shaman, Buddhist teachers, Sikh gurus

  12. Pastoral Counselors/Psychotherapists • Education and training • Accreditation, certification, supervision, continuing education • Relative strengths and weaknesses • Attitudes toward psychiatry and medicine • Pastoral counseling centers and practices

  13. Mental Health and Psychiatric Chaplaincy • Clinical Pastoral Education programs in psychiatry • Greater attention to clergy/patient boundaries • Discernment of unhealthy/pathological vs. healthy and adaptive religious/spiritual thought and practice

  14. Sacred textmediator INSPIRED prophetic witness cultural guide Sage Healer SACRAMENT prayer leader ETHICIST religious/ SPIRITUAL authority and the clergy OR religious professional

  15. AUTHORITY • Important differences among religions, subgroups, regions • Ascribed vs. Achieved • Immigrant and refugee communities • Hierarchical and Congregational polities

  16. Preparation, Education, Certification of Religious Professionals: No single pathway • Major religions, subgroups within them have their own requirements • Also can differ by role, specialization, context of ministry

  17. Most Common Education and Credentials A) 4 year college degree + 3-5 year graduate professional degree M.Div. “Master of Divinity” B) Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) C) Ordination requirements

  18. ? No particular requirements Extensive graduate education and certification

  19. Other common degree programs: • Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) • Master of Theology (Th. M/STM ) • Master of Sacred Music • M. A. in ______ (e.g., Jewish Studies) • University divinity schools • Denominational seminaries • Cooperative consortia of theology schools

  20. Graduate Education for Ministry • 251 accredited schools in North America (2005 figure) • 1/3 of seminary students are women • 2x as many men graduate with M.Div. • About to see first schools for training imam • Jewish seminaries—3 major seminaries, many yeshiva schools

  21. Ordination Endorsement by religious community after process (some= rigorous, others less so) “Ordination exams” Conferral of authority (sacramental, interpretive, etc.) by religious community Some religious professionals are not ordained—different use of term “lay person”

  22. Specialized training/accreditation • Chaplains • Educators • Pastoral Counselors • Clinical Pastoral Education • AAPC • AACC • NACC • Muslim Chaplaincy Association • Dual Degrees • “Second Career”

  23. Clergy have extensive contact with distressed people and groups: • People report 5 x more likely to contact clergy than all mental health professionals combined when faced with death of someone close to them • Access to everyday lives of families, especially in transitions (birth, death, job loss, crisis, adolescence to adulthood)

  24. Help Seeking from Clergy heightened among: • Ethnic and racial minority groups • Rural population • Some adolescents

  25. How important is religion to people? • Gallup Research: approx. 40% of US population attends a religious service each week; actual “attendees” probably closer to 20% • 72% of general public respond affirmatively to “My whole approach to life is based on my religion.” • Psychologists agree least (33%), followed by psychiatrists (39%)

  26. As resources in care, clergy have • Unique access, involvement in everyday lives of people • Bridge capacities—cultural, linguistic, worldview and meanings accorded to suffering and distress • Wide networks—access to multiple groups, concrete resources & services • SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE OF RELIGION(S) AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

  27. ChurchWORSHIP CENTERPARISHSYNAGOGUE templeMOSQUE Study Center ashramCONGREGATION CHAPLAINCYCAMPUS MINISTRY CENTER FELLOWSHIP CATHEDRAL mission gurdwara HOUSE OF PRAYER SHRINE FAITH BASED ORGANIZATION YMCA Jewish Community Center Christian Science Reading Room TABERNACLE Understanding religious organizations and faith communities

  28. Where do religious professionals and clergy work? • Most common = leaders of congregations, synagogues, mosques, “houses of worship” 335,000 Christian congregations in US 3,700 Jewish congregations 1,660 Muslim mosques 2228 Buddhist centers 69 Jain centers 274 Hindu temples/centers

  29. “Pastoral” Role: 5 Functions Healing—promoting resiliency, coping, & return to wholeness Guiding—helping persons and communities make difficult decisions Sustaining—support, engaging resources of faith to deal with suffering

  30. Reconciling—encouraging “right relationship” through practices of forgiveness • mediating conflict • promoting community • Advocating—assisting persons through addressing structural & systems issues • work to overcome inequities, meet needs • promote justice

  31. Hartford study on congregations in communities: Average congregation has partnerships with 6 community organizations • Money • Volunteers • In-kind donations • Space • Staff time

  32. Community Outreach Services • Senior citizen programs • Prison or jail ministries • Child day care • Substance abuse programs • Literacy and tutoring programs • English as a Second Language (ESL) • Immigrant and migrant support

  33. Community Outreach Services • Transportation assistance • Voter registration • Job training

  34. Medical Services • Emergency cash assistance • Budgeted contributions • Low cost health clinics • Transportation to and from appointments • Child care during appointments • Parish nursing

  35. Mental Health Services and Support • Pastoral counselors and counseling centers • Twelve Step programs • Support groups

  36. Culturally based ministries • Ethnic houses of worship • Language services • Socialization • Acculturation

  37. Miscellaneous • Athletics • Music, arts, drama • Adoptive-grandparent programs • Vision and hearing impaired • Day camps and summer overnight camps • Elder care and services

  38. Parachurch Organizations • Youth for Christ • Campus Crusade for Christ • Focus on the Family • Billy Graham Evangelistic Association • World Vision • American Bible Society • Gideons International

  39. Congregations offer resources of • Religious and spiritual “capital” • Cost effective extensions of care through concrete services and supports • “Social capital”

  40. Consultation Spiritual Assessment trauma response team member Information Resource DISCHARGE PLANNING ritual healing critical incident debriefing Strategies for Collaboration

  41. Past barriers to collaboration History of mutual suspicion: different epistemologies, sometimes different value systems Stereotyping/ lack of respect for differences Not valuing the resources of religious traditions for healing

  42. Primary issue: Absence of good collegial working relationships between mental health professionals and religious professionals

  43. Current Issues • HIPAA and privacy concerns • Immigration issues • Potential clash of worldviews • Declining public trust

  44. Reasons to Collaborate • Religion and spirituality influence the everyday lives and emotional/psychological well-being of a large number of people in the U.S. • Ethical obligation to provide care in best interests of clients • Clergy as gatekeepers

  45. Religion helps alleviate stress, promotes coping: Promotes positive worldview Helps make sense of difficult situations Gives purpose and meaning Discourages maladaptive coping Enhances social support Promotes other-directedness Helps release the need for control Provides and encourages forgiveness Encourages thankfulness Provides hope.

  46. FIVE STRATEGIES FOR COLLABORATION • CONSULTATION -with chaplains—bridge people between health care and community (Get connected!) -with community religious leaders in general (Get information!) -with a patient’s particular clergy or religious professional (Get consent!)

  47. NETWORKING • Ministerial alliances and Interfaith/ Ecumenical organizations • Develop referral networks (clergy, congregational resources) specific to your patient population. • Ask for information about a faith group’s practices, beliefs, and resources.

  48. INVOLVEMENT • In spiritual assessment and discharge planning • To provide religious resources in therapeutic process • Ritual and sacramental • Support- and direct services • On committees and work groups • trauma response teams • ethics committees • adolescent suicide prevention task forces

  49. EDUCATION Clergy and religious professionals: + to recognize/respond to serious mental health issues in their roles as ‘first point of contact” + to support goals and process of treatment Mental health professionals : + to learn about religion and spirituality + to respect and engage persons’ belief systems in the work of healing

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