Outcomes of Integrating Faith and Practice

 

Last fall I interviewed a number of social workers, several of them NACSW members, to learn more about how integrating their faith or spirituality in their practice affected them and their work. I found their responses quite insightful, and would like to share some of these with you in this column. For some social workers I talked to, integrating their spirituality plays a key role in bringing them, their co-workers, and their organizations to a “higher ground.” As one social work administrator remarked:

 

The benefit of integrating spirituality in the workplace . . . <is that> it brings people in touch with everything that’s human about them, it frees energy in their lives, and it brings their lives to higher ground . . and eventually the organization moves to a higher ground as well - a higher ground of compassion, more of a sense of belonging, more positive energy, and eventually a deeper sense of healing in the organization” (Doug interview, lines 254-259).

 

Other social workers mentioned that integrating their faith in their work helped them cope or stay calm during challenging or stressful times:

 

I think that peace, that calm that comes with having that relationship <with God> is so important. Because the walls could be coming down, but you’re steady, you’re steady (Focus group, lines 515 – 516).

 

Another social worker remarked:

 

I think for me <spirituality> transcends the rational, sometimes I feel like, okay, I’ve made a decision, okay now I leave it up to <God> . . . and I’ve said a prayer, and it sort of allows me to sit back and wait without being nervous or anxious or worried. Its like you’ve done everything you could, you prayed about it, now let it go . . . Also it helps me to cope when things don’t work out, that there’s a reason why things didn’t work out a certain way, let it go. . . . (Focus group, lines 483-489).

 

Some social workers explained that integrating their spirituality makes them more effective social workers. One remarked:

 

“ . . . when you have that connection spiritually, you also carry an excellent spirit, you have standards, and I think you bring that to the work environment, so that you are not only just producing, but you are producing at a high level” (Focus group, lines 564 – 567).

 

         Another social worker suggested that “it <my spirituality> has made me a better clinician” (Randa, line 116). Yet one more social worker said she was able to “incorporate a spirituality to help <her> just kind of be more effective as a worker, more organized in how <she> process<es> things, and just keep <her> kind of grounded” (Focus group, lines 541 – 545).

 

Several social workers noted that their spirituality helps them keep perspective in their work: “I have this feeling that no matter what happens, its going to be okay. That everything’s just going to work out” (Focus group, lines 518 – 519). Also:

 

“I think it <my spirituality> helps me put things into perspective a lot about work and what work is, letting go of a lot of things, not letting it define me, not letting a job take over my life, you know, that there are bigger, more important things, and that I feel I am just the instrument in which good work can be done. So it’s not about me. . . So it helps me take the focus off myself, and in a way it puts in a lot of perspective” (Randa, lines 136-145).

 

It is also important to note that one social worker mentioned some challenges associated with integrating spirituality in his work:

 

“I think its <integrating spirituality> been really stretching. At times I say to myself, is this the way to go, is this worth it, you know, in the long run? Its really stretching because it’s a lot easier to come in and be an administrator than being a spiritual servant, a compassionate leader. Its hard, and people call it the soft stuff, but its not soft stuff at all, its really hard, it’s the hardest way to manage and to lead. So its affecting me in that sometimes I get tired, I get exhausted. . . .if we’re not careful . . . it’s the risk of burning out, just running out of steam. Ah, and it could happen individually or it could happen as an organization as well” (Doug, lines 217 – 222; 266 - 268).

 

Do some of these responses resonate with you as you think how integrating your faith in your social work affects you and those with whom you work? I’d love to hear your thoughts about this!

 

Rick Chamiec-Case

Executive Director