Home PAGE of NACSW Donate to NACSW JobNet Members-Only Area Sitemap AND Search Frequently Asked Questions About NACSW WebLinks Conferences and CEUs Membership Directory Membership Publications & Bookstore Home PAGE of NACSW Logo Link to Home Page of NACSW Donate to NACSW JobNet Members-Only Area Sitemap AND Search Frequently Asked Questions About NACSW WebLinks Conferences and CEUs Membership Directory Membership Publications & Bookstore
Book

Welcome to the section of our website that provides full bibliographical information and 50-100 word descriptions of books and articles written by NACSW members!

 

 

Clicking on any underlined title below will take you to an Internet website through which you can purchase this book if you are interested.

Rogers, Edward B., Stanford, Matthew and Garland, Diana R. (2011)Mental Health, Religion & Culture

Administration and Policy

Vanderwoerd, Jim R. (2002) Is the Newer Deal a better deal? Government funding of faith-based social services. Christian Scholar s Review, XXXI, Number 3.

Recent legislation and initiatives to encourage government to partner with faith-based organizations in addressing social problems has been termed a "newer deal" because it represents substantial changes in the American welfare state. So-called "Charitable Choice" legislation is an important advancement that is more in keeping with current scholarship on pluralism and developments in public policy. However, unanswered questions regarding the effectiveness, capacity, and unanticipated consequences of government/faith-based partnerships suggest that more work is needed before concluding that the newer deal is a better deal.

Ellor, James Wand Netting, E. F. (2005). Faith based initiatives and older adults. Binghamton: The Haworth Press.

Faith based initatives and older adults is an essential resource for anyone interested in developing programs for older adults in religious congregations, for human services staffs seeking to work with faith-based initatives, and for government workers in need of a better understanding of faith-based services in their community.

Garland, Diana R. (2003) Recruiting religiously-motivated volunteers. Website of Faith and Service Technical Education Network (Pew Charitable Trusts).

Garland, Diana R. (2003) When the service delivery system is a congregation. Website of Faith and Service Technical Education Network (Pew Charitable Trusts).

Garland, Diana R. (2003) The role of faith in the service of Christian volunteers. Website of Faith and Service Technical Education Network (Pew Charitable Trusts).

Garland, D.R., Netting, E., O Connor, M.K., & Yancey, G. (2004) Belief systems in faith-based human services programs: A research brief. Website of Faith and Service Technical Education Network (Pew Charitable Trusts).

Vanderwoerd, Jim R. (2004) How faith-based social services organizations manage secular pressures associated with government funding. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 14(3), 239-262.

This article reports selected findings from a qualitative case study of two faith-based social service organizations to address two questions: (1) How does government funding influence the religious characteristics of faith-based social service organizations? (2) How do government-funded, faith-based social service organizations manage the tensions arising from both secular and religious contexts? The findings suggest that the adaptation of secular institutional practices is not as inevitable as some have feared. Rather, the two organizations studied showed convincingly that their faith traditions and values were alive and widely evident throughout their organizations. Three key strategies emerged as means for maintaining religiousness in the face of secular pressures: (1) Religious identities were perceived as given rather than chosen, and therefore were not negotiable; (2) religious values provided strong justification for seeking relationships with others who do not share their faith; (3) the religious worldview blurred religious and secular distinctions so that secular technologies and practices could comfortably be utilized.

Yankeelov, P., & Garland, D.R. (2004) Families in congregations: Developing methods for studying their demographics, strengths, stressors, and faith behaviors. Review of Religious Research, 45(4), 368-385.

Community Organizing and Development

Garland, D.R. , Wolfer t.T.A and D.M. Myers 2008How 35 Congregations Launched and Sustained Community MinistriesFamily and Community Ministries: Empowering Through Faith 35 (229-257) Baylor Publications

Garland, D.R., Myers D.M., & Wolfer, T.A. 2008Social Work With Religious Volunteers: Activating and Sustaining Community Involvement.Social Work 53 (3) 255 - 265

This article reports findings from two surveys: 7,405 congregants in 35 Protestant congregations, including 2,570 who were actively volunteering, and a follow-up survey of 946 volunteers. It compares characteristics of congregation volunteers and nonvolunteers. Findings provide insights into how religious individuals begin and continue to volunteer in service settings and how congregations promot

Garland, Diana R., 2007 Foreword in: Welcoming The Children: History and Programs of Arizona Baptist Children's Services 1960-2002 Xlibris (September 23, 2010) C.Baker

This story is about how the Christian church, with the major focus upon Arizona Baptist Children’s Services (ABCS), has responded to the mandate of Jesus to “welcome the children” whose families have been crippled or absent.

Garland, Diana R.,& Edmonds, Jo A., (2007)Family Life of Baptists. Family and Community Ministries: Empowering Through Faith 21 (1) 6-21

Using the Church Census questionnaire, 15 Baptist congregations surveyed their attenders to learn how they could minister more effectively with families. Altogether,3,393 attenders participated in the surveys. This article reports what these congregation attenders said about their families’ strengths, stressors, faith behaviors, and felt needs for support from their congregations.

Garland, Diana R.,2006. When Wolves Wear Shepherd's Clothing: Helping Women Survive Clergy Sexual AbuseSocial Work and Christianity 33 (1) 1-35

This article reviews resources for helping women, their families, and congregations survive the abuse of power and the betrayal of sacred trust embodied in clergy sexual abuse.

Myers, D.R., Wolfer, T.A., Garland, D.R., 2008Congregational Service-Learning Characteristics and Volunteer Faith DevelopmentReligious Education 103 369-386

A research study surveyed 946 volunteers from congregations who were actively involved in community service, as well as 3,959 other congregational attenders who were not involved in volunteer service, to understand the relationship between service learning and faith development. Findings show that service-learning is powerfully related to a mature faith and to other faith practices such as prayer,

Rogers, Franci, Garland, Diana R,2007. What Church Families Want. Family and Community Ministries: Empowering Through Faith 21 (1) 22-23

Ministering to families has always held challenges. Con-gregation leaders from every denomination ask them-selves, "Are we reaching families? What does our congregation need? How can we help? Where do we start?" Diana Garland, dean of Baylor University's School of Social Work, working with Dr. Pam Yankeelov, professor at the University of Louisville, has developed a tool to help churches answer t

Direct Practice

Garland, D.R, 2008Christian Social ServicesEncyclopedia of Social Work. Washington D.C.: National Association of Social Workers

Wanda L..(2006)Self-care: Healing the Healer. Healing Ministry, 13(1), 31-35.

There is no doubt that self-care can prove challenging to professional helpers (i.e., administrators, clergy, educators, counselors, and social workers). Time demands, job related stressors, and role strain can take a toll and result in professional burnout or compassion fatigue. This article provides five personal self-care strategies that can help offset the toxic impact of stress while offering self-renewal and peace of mind. Although these five strategies are not exhaustive, they do represent a critical core necessary to achieve balance in life.

Barr, Robert(2000) In The World, But Not Of It-God s Principles For LivingParker, Colorado: Outskirts Press, Inc.

God created the world and knows how it should be run. As Social workers, we seek to live our lives as God would have us to live them and seek to help our clients to solve the problems they have from not living according to God s instruction. The book lays out the Biblical prescription for a life pleasing to God as opposed to a life according to the ways of the world and lays out a plan for living

Callahan, A.M., 2010.Spiritually-Sensive Care in Hospice Social WorkJournal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care 5 (3-4) 199-215

Spirituality is an important issue for many patients in hospice care. The need for spiritual care often increases as patients struggle to accept the dying process. When patients fail to meet their spiritual needs, a deep sense of spiritual pain can result which may require the provision of spiritual care. Spiritual care usually involves a patient's religious leader or hospice chaplain; however, so

Cheydleur, John (1999) Called to counsel. Grand Rapids, MI: Tyndale House Publishers.

Called to Counsel is a manual that teaches a variety of counseling tools and techniques to counseling students and trainees. Written from an unambiguously Christian perspective, some of the skills training issues this book covers include: structuring a counseling interview; developing advanced listening skills; connecting emotions and values; using probes and prompts; learning about action planning; integrating the use of Scripture and prayer in counseling

Collins, W.L, Holt, T.A., Moore, S.E., & Bledsoe, L.K. (2003).Long distance caregiving: A case study of an African American family. American Journal of Alzheimer�s Disease and Other Dementias, 18 (5), 309-316.

This article offers a first-hand experience of caregiving involving an African American family. It discusses the challenges that result from long-distance caregiving. A detailed case study and assessment is followed by suggested strategies for lessening caregiver stress.

Collins, W.L & Moore, S. E. (2004).Cross cultural differences in preferred forms of address: Implications for work with African American adults.Advances in Social Work, 5 (2), 163-171.

Using an individual�s last name indicates respect and contributes to positive interaction with African American clients and adults of African descent. This paper discusses the importance of using social titles as a proper form of address during, and sometimes after, the initial professional relationship. Two case vignettes highlight potential difficulties that non-African American practitioners may experience when using first names with African Americans within the professional realm.

Cosgrove, John. (2001) Religious congregations as mediators of devolution: A study of parish-based services. In B. Rock and R. Perez-Koenig (Eds.) Social work in the era of devolution: Toward a just practice, 331-350. New York: Fordham University Press.

This chapter reports on a study of a quarter century-old model of parish soical ministry. The origin, structure, operations and outcomes of this model are examined across parishes in a large Catholic diocese. The findings speak to the ability of congregations to: deliver services to diverse populations; their particular ability to discern and respond to local shifts in need; and, their potential, collectively, to inform and hold accountable public policy makers and agencies.

Ellor, Jim Netting, F.E. & Thibault. J.M. (1999)Religious and spiritual aspects of human service practice Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press.

Religious and Spiritual Aspects of Human Service Practice recognizes that although health and human service professionals traditionally receive training in the emotional and physical aspect of caring for persons, they rarely receive instructions in the area of spirituality and religious belief. This book addresses the challenge of understanding the client's perspective - even when it involves a religious tradition unfamiliar to the practitioner.

Freeman, D.R. (2006)Spirituality in violent and substance-abusing African American men: An untapped resource for healing. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work, 25(1), 3-22.

The author uses case scenarios, reviews the literature, and provides practical examples on how clinicians can recognize and create an environment that invites clients to explore their spiritual needs. Although the primary focus of this article is upon holistically treating violent African American men, the principles and concepts the author uses can be effectively used in treating clients from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Garland, D.R, O Connor, M.K.Wolfer, T, and Netting, E. (2006). Team-based research: Notes from the field. Qualitative social work: Research and practice, 5(1) 93-109.

Garland, D.R., Sherr, M., Dennison, A. & Singletary, J. 2008Who Cares for the Children?Family and Community Ministries: Empowering Through Faith, 22 (1) 6 - 16

The authors report findings from a national study comparing congregation based child care programs with other private and public programs. They found that 25% of child care is being provided by congregations, and that congregations are significantly more likely to be serving middle and upper-middle class children who pay flat rate fees, not low income children whose care is subsidized. by governm

Garland, D.R., and Argueta, C (2010)Social Work and Christianity Volume 37:1 pp 1 - 27NACSW

How clergy sexual misconduct happens: A qualitative study of first hand accounts.

Garland, Diana (2010)Inside out families: Living the faith togetherWaco: Baylor University Press

Utilising the research methods for which she is well known, Diana Garland here guides congregational leaders and counsellors to encourage families to engage together in the Christian practice of service. The fruit of family service, she writes, is not only a deeper understanding of one another and of what God is doing in the world but also the reordering of a family's values and time together.

Garland, Diana R. (2002) Family ministry: Defining perspectives. Family Ministry: Empowering Through Faith, 16(2).

Garland, Diana R. (2002) Faith narratives of congregants and their families. Review of Religious Research, 44(1), 68-91.

Garland, Diana R. (2002)Family ministry. In The international encyclopedia of marriage and family relationships. James J. Ponzetti, Jr., (Ed.). New York: Macmillan Reference USA.

Garland, Diana R. (2002)Good medicine. In T. Laine Scales, et al., Spirituality, faith, and social work practice: A teaching casebook. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education, 29-35.

Garland, Diana R. (2004) Family stories: Resources for nurturing family faith in congregational life. Family Ministry: Empowering Through Faith, 18(3), 26-44.

Garland, Diana R. (2005) The sacred in family stories. Family Ministry: Empowering Through Faith, 19(2), 41-58.

Garland, Diana, Family Ministry: A Comprehensive GuidePublisher: IVP Academic; 02 edition (September 5, 2012)

North American families are in crisis, and the need for family ministry is more evident than ever. In this new edition Garland takes a three-pronged approach to family ministry, which includes developing families grounded in Christian faith, helping families live the teachings of Jesus with one another, and equipping and supporting families as they learn to serve others.

Garland, Diana,Social Workers on Church StaffsNational Institute for Research and Training in Church Social Work Louisville KY 1987

It is hoped that this research study will be instrumental in generating additional research into church social work and identifying other parish social workers, who need to be encouraged to share their experiences with the larger profession.

Garland, Diana. (2003) Sacred stories of ordinary families: Living the faith every day. New York, NY: Jossey-Bass/John Wiley Publishers.

The premise of this book is that when families are faced with crises and challenges � unemployment, the untimely death of a family member, natural disasters and chronic illness � those who seem to weather the crisis best are often those who have an active spiritual dimension of their life together. In addition, in times of joy and celebration, families with strong spiritual life are often able to rejoice in deeper and more wondrous ways. Identifying resilience, strength, and faith in the stories of all kinds of families, Sacred Stories of Ordinary Families encourages readers to think about how faith shapes family life. Drawn from Diana Garland s interviews with 110 families, this book includes stories from ordinary families whose lives together both reveal and rely on extraordinary faith.

Hodge, David. (2002) Working with Muslim youth: Understanding the values and beliefs of Islamic discourse. Children and Schools, 24(1), 6-20.

While Muslims comprise a significant and growing percentage of American youth, no articles have appeared in the social work literature to orient workers to this population. This represents an important oversight since lack of understanding may foster ineffective, or possibly even detrimental, practice outcomes with this population. Consequently, this paper attempts to equip practitioners to work with Muslim youth in a culturally sensitive manner. The distinct nature of Islamic discourse is profiled and significant values discussed. Potential value-based conflicts with the dominant secular discourse are explored and some possible solutions are suggested. The paper concludes with an extended discussion of practice issues designed to foster culturally sensitive and efficacious practice with Muslim youth.

Hodge, David & Williams, T.R. (2002). Assessing African American spirituality with spiritual ecomaps. Families in Society, 83(5/6), 585-595.

While there is increasing awareness that spirituality is a central dimension of human existence, there are few assessment instruments which operationalize spiritual strengths in a clinically useful manner. Further, instruments tailored specifically for African Americans, the population for whom spirituality may be most salient, have been almost completely lacking in the literature. Correspondingly, this paper develops a diagrammatic assessment instrument, spiritual eco-maps, for assessing African American spirituality. After delineating the theoretical components of a spiritual eco-map, practical suggestions are given for the instrument�s use, including a number of possible interventions that flow from the assessment process. A case study is provided to familiarize the reader with the instrument. The paper concludes by offering suggestions for using the instrument for other populations in a culturally sensitive manner.

Michael Parker, James M. HoustonA Vision for the Aging Church Renewing Ministry for and by SeniorsPublisher: IVP Academic (February 28, 2012)

Are we ready for the opportunities and challenges facing the aging church? Now is the time for the church to offer ministry to its increasing numbers of seniors and to benefit from ministry they can offer. In this book James M. Houston and Michael Parker issue an urgent call to reconceive the place and part of the elderly and seniors in the local church congregation. Confronting the idea tha

Miller, Craig A. (2006)When your mate has emotionally checked out.Take Publishing & Enterprises.

If you want to make lasting changes in your relationships, then this is the book for you. Don't be fooled though ... this book is not a ‘how to change others’ book. This book was written for YOU and will show YOU how to change yourself for the better. If you are willing to take a journey to become a healthier you, then you will obtain the tools to bring lasting healing to your life and your relati

Miller, Craig. (2001) When feelings don't come easy: overcoming the struggle to feel good about your life. Frederick, MD: PublishAmerica

When Feelings Don't Come Easy provides insights, powerful case testimonies, inspiring scriptures, and easy to learn techniques to help the reader overcome the fear to say what they want, let go of emotional hurts, find satisfaction in relationships, find emotional happiness, and feel good about themselves. The reader will learn that at the heart of emotional suffering, many physical ailments, poor self worth, unhealthy relationships, and dissatisfaction with life are the inability to identify and effectively express feelings

Mitchell, Daryl. (2005) The spiritual life cycle: Stages of spiritual growth from a Christian perspective.Create Space

As a teenager I began to ask, "Why do young people leave the church when they go off to college or leave home?" Young people leave the church because while they have grown up physically and psychologically, they haven t developed spiritually. There are seven stages of spiritual growth from a Christian perspective. The Spiritual Life Cycle explains the learning tasks, crises, keys, and symbols of each stage. It teaches the steps necessary to move from one stage to the next. It is not just another book about the necessity of prayer, bible study, etc.

Pate, Sandra,Uncapping Family Wisdom: Recognizing, Treating, and Reconciling Transgenerational DysfunctionPhillip Monroe Publishing Co.

In most societal strata, linguistic legacies limit social, psycho-social, cognitive, and moral development in varying degrees causing transgenerational dysfunction. Christians in social work can understand how intervention in linguistic patterns can change the future for clients in alternative schools, court-ordered counseling, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment centers

Phillips, Bertha. (2003) Rising above the violence. Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, Inc.

Rising Above The Violence is a Christian Counselor�s personal journey that demonstrates that healing for the violence in our society will only come through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This book looks at the problem of violence in our society from a personal, philosophical, psychological, and spiritual perspective. It presents preventative methodologies that begin with each parent becoming personally responsible and accountable for the moral and ethical training of their children.

Sedlacek, David and Beverly Sedlacek (2008). Cleansing the sanctuary of the heart: Tools for emotional healingMustang, OK: Tate Publishing

David and Beverly Sedlacek offer the truths they have learned through years of clinical practice in this comprehensive guide to Cleansing the Sanctuary of the Heart. This book is a distillation of the biblical principles the Sedlaceks have used to heal others who have sought counseling for addictions, mental and emotional disorders, relationship problems, and abuse.

Sherr, Michael, E., Garland, Diana, Wolfer, Terry, 2007The Role of Community Service in the Faith Development of AdolescentsThe Journal of Youth Ministry 6 (1) 43-54

The NSYR researchers discovered that the vast majority of U.S. teenagers value religion and are exceedingly conventional in their beliefs and practices (Smith & Denton, 2005). At the same time, the researchers found teenagers to be “incredibly inarticulate” (p. 131) about their faith. Moreover, the teens studied almost universally assumed an instrumental view of religion, that it helps indivi

Wolfer, T. A., & Sherr, M. (2003)The role of religious congregations in American life. In T. Tirrito & T. Cascio (Eds.), Religious organizations in community services (pp. 23-49). New York: Springer Publishing.

Bloem, Steve and Robin. (2005). Broken minds. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.

Broken Minds is a deeply personal, yet practical, book for Christians who are clinically depressed or have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Mental illness. is often much more subtle-and much more prevalent than we imagine. Unfortunately, people who are diagnosed as being mentally ill may not understand what is happening to them. And for Christians, some "helpful" leaders heap on guilt, say

Bonfiglio, Susan, Bilich, M., and Carlson, S. (2000). Shared grace: therapists and clergy working together . Binghampton, NY: Haworth Press Inc.

Shared Grace provides a framework within which mental health professionals and clergy can work together to provide people in need with appropriate psychological services and spiritual interventions. It will help therapists and clergy alike and enable each to obtain the support, education, and training to make interdisciplinary collaboration successful. Shared Grace discusses transforming damaged and dysfunctional images of God, the establishment of support systems from within the religious community, the use of guided imagery, and the creation of healthy rituals and ceremonies.

Bridgeman, Pamela. (2012).A healing journey: Emotional and spiritual wholeness through personal journaling.New York, NY:Timeless Avatar Press.

Journaling is an effective therapeutic tool in group practice. Using biblical principles and Jesus Christ-centered applications, “A Healing Journey” teaches about the practice of journaling and guides the reader through this wondrous writing experience with practical applications. It is a facilitator’s manual and a group member’s workbook. After applying the Stepping Stones, the reader will have gained life-long tools for emotional and spiritual wholeness.

Cassidy-Shaw, Aimee. (2002). Family abuse and the Bible: the scriptural perspective. Binghampton, NY: Haworth Press Inc.

Family Abuse and the Bible is a Christian interpretive commentary on the subjects of family abuse, divorce, marital unity, marital healing, and the American way of being married. It offers hope to Christian women in abusive relationships, showing that submission to violence is actually giving in to demonic forces. The tools in this book can help free women from the horror of an abuse they may feel is ordained by God, while leaving them with an intact source of strength in their faith.

Cooper, CarolineIn This Corner: Battling Depression from Inside the RingTate Publishing

This workbook is filed with personal stories, tools and work pages to help persons who suffer from depression or other mental health issues to understand their condition from a Christian perspective. Work pages contain exercises to aid in developing healthy tools for ongoing recovery. Several appendices are included with additional information on Christian disciplines.

Harris, Russ (2001). Christ-centered therapy: Empowering the self. Birmingham, NY: The Haworth Press, Inc.

Christ-Centered Therapy brings together the Christian faith with the Internal Family System (IFS) model, which facilitates healing by showing how the self can become the change agent for the dysfunctional internal system. Christ-centered IFS combines the power of IFS therapy with lasting change through the healing power of Jesus. Each chapter of Christ-Centered Therapy provides specific help.

Holloman, C.C. (2002). A house divided: A case for faith-based collaboration. Published by book author.

A House Divided is an interesting and thought provoking challenge, sharing several perspectives about unity and the power of collaboration. This book of revelations, visions, prophecies, and experiences, helps its readers to appreciate "Unity in Diversity" and the wonderful differences among the people of God. It offers practical suggestions on how to promote collaboration. It provides humorous anecdotes and also tragic tales about real life collaboratives. It offers a passionate challenge to the men and women of God to rebuild unity in the "House of God".

Johnson, Hiram. (2006).Tragic Redemption: Healing the Guilt and Shame.Langmarc Publishing.

Based on a true personal experience, Hiram tells how, in a split second, his life was changed forever. At the young age of twenty, he lost control of the car he was driving, causing the death of a seventeen-year-old girl who was a passenger in his car. This poignant and engaging account is also transparent and compelling as he shares the intimate details of his traumatic struggle with overwhelming guilt and shame. As he shares his story in Tragic Redemption, Hiram also provides experienced counseling expertise to guide the readers through key personal growth steps that helped him discover God�s peace and forgiveness.

Justice, Jessica A., and Garland, Diana R. (2010)Social Work and Christianity Volume 37:4 pp 437 - 445NACSW

How clergy sexual misconduct happens: A qualitative study of first-hand accounts

Pennell, Joan & Anderson, Gary. (2005) Widening the circle: The practice and evaluation of family group conferencing with children, youth, and their families. Washington, DC: NASW Press.

This volume presents family group conferencing in a thorough manner, including models for conferencing, conducting conferences, strategies for after the conference, and issues in policy and evluation. With illustrations from family group conference cases, the family-centered aspects of family conferencing are illustrated and analyzed to advance one s understanding of this model of practice.

Williams, Gwendola. (2004). God provides a way of escape: The nouthetic counselor s response to domestic violence. Canada: Trafford Publishing.

God Provides a Way of Escape: The Nouthetic Counselor s Response to Domestic Violence, focuses on how the church can answer the cry of victims. One important aspect discussed is the need for a counselor who will counsel according to the Word of God. Efforts must be made to ensure women are not continually re-victimized by insufficient methods disguised as effective. The book emphasizes the importance of counseling with the scriptures to help victims escape their violent situation. The data show there is a need for victims to find long-lasting solutions, and these solutions are found in God s Word.

Faith of the Social Worker

Bridgeman, Pamela,A Healing Journey: Emotional and Spiritual Wholeness through Personal Journaling A Healing Journey Counseling & Consultation (September 26, 2012)

I wrote A Healing Journey as a manual, a workbook and a journal. It will teach you about the practice of journaling and will guide you through this wondrous writing experience with practical applications. Once you have finished reading and responding to the Stepping Stones, you will have also written a personal journal.

Burns Michael,God's ToylandPublisher: Master Press (April 25, 2013)

God's Toyland glorifies God from cover to cover and some of the proceeds will be going to support The Shepherd's House.

Callahan A.M., 2009Coming-Out at Work: A Spiritual JourneyReflections: Narrative of Professional Helping 15 (2) 54-59

Callahan, A.M., 2010Review of the book : Social Work and SpiritualityJournal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought 29 (3) 271

Book review

Carlos AndersonPoetry Out of a ShoeboxPublishAmerica (July 21, 2010)

Toby learned a valuable lesson from his father about courage. He must overcome various obstacles to find his missing stripes. He is guided through the obstacles by his father's voice, without Toby realizing his father is following him. Through the obstacles, Toby learns the true meaning of courage.

Garland D. R& Argueta, C. A., (2011)Unholy touch: Church Leaders and Sexual Misconduct with AdultsNew York: Oxford University Press

The church leaders's counseling resource book: A guide to mental health and social problems Franklin C., & R. Fong (Eds)(pp 405 - 416)

Garland, Diana (2003)Sacred stories of ordinary familiesSan Francisco: Jossey Bass

When families are faced with crises and challenges— unemployment, the untimely death of a family member, natural disasters and chronic illnesses— those who seem to weather the crisis best are often those who have an active spiritual dimension to their lives together. And in times of joy and celebration families with strong spiritual lives rejoice in deeper and more wondrous ways. But what exactly

Garland, Diana R,Myers, Dennis M,Wolfer, Terry A, 2009Protestant Christian Volunteers in Community Social Service Programs: What Motivates, Challenges and Sustains ThemAdministration in Social Work 33 (1), 1-17

This article presents findings from a research project exploring the motivations of 25 volunteers from Prodestant Christian congregations involved in community service programs.

Garland, Diana R., Myers, Dennis M., and Wolfer, Terry A. (2009) Administration in Social Work Volume 33:1 pp 1 - 17

Protestant Christian volunteers in community social service programs: What motivates, challenges and sustains them

Hodge, David. (2002) Equally devout, but do they speak the same language? Comparing the religious beliefs and practices of social workers and the general public. Families in Society, 83(5/6), 573-584.

While the profession is witnessing growing interest in addressing consumers� spiritual and religious strengths, no studies have explicitly sought to compare the religious values of social workers with those of the general public. This study uses a nationally representative data set, the General Social Survey, to compare the beliefs and practices of graduate (N = 53) and bachelor (N = 92) level social workers with those of the lower, working and middle classes. The results suggest that the contents of belief systems differ, particularly between graduate workers and the lower and working classes, with social workers being more likely to endorse liberal religious beliefs. Yet, while the belief systems differed, there was little variation in expression, as social workers were roughly as likely to attend services and consider themselves strong adherents of their faith as members of the lower, working and middle classes. The paper concludes by discussing some of the implications of the difference in belief systems.

Hodge, David. (2003)Value differences between social workers and members of the working and middle classes: A nationally representative study based upon New Class theory. Social Work, 48(1), 107-119.

While significant differences in values between social workers and clients are widely understood to affect the efficacy of service provision, no studies have sought to examine how the values affirmed by workers may differ from those held by members of the working and middle classes. Accordingly, this study examines the degree of value similarity between social workers and consumers. Based upon New Class theory, two hypotheses were made. First, graduate social workers (N = 53) were posited to affirm more liberal values than the working and middle classes and second, bachelor level workers (N = 92) were hypothesized to affirm value positions in between those of graduate workers and the working and middle classes. Both hypotheses were supported. The implications for the divergence in value frameworks for advocacy, practice and education are discussed.

Hugen, Beryl, Garland, Diana R., Myers, Dennis R., Sherwood, David S & Sheridan, Paula M. (forthcoming). Service and faith: The impact of faith of community ministry participation. Review of religious research.

Laney, Sue, McClure, Nancy(2000). Nurturing God s Way Parent Program for Christian FamiliesNurturing Resources, Inc

Nurturing God's Way builds a foundation of parenting skills. The curriculum examines both Old & New Testament scripture & helps participants apply Biblical concepts to their roles as parents & caretakers of children. Program goals are to teach participants to parent as God parents us,use Christ as our role model for behavior,& to continually seek the Holy Spirit for wisdom & guidance.

Dressler, Pam. (2005). Life after loss. Tulsa, OK: Harrison House.

There is no greater loss that you can experience than the death of a loved one. Parents, siblings, spouses, extended family, and friends - all share in a grief that seems too great to bear. Where is God in the midst of such tragedy? With love and tender compassion, Pam Dressler will take you through the emotional and practical challenges that lie ahead. Based on her own tragic loss of her beloved daughter, and with wisdom that can come only from the heart of God, Pam leads you to the comfort of a loving Saviour, where you will discover understanding, peace, and hope for your own heart. Social workers that minister to clients who are grieving will find this an especially helpful resource, both for the client and for themselves.

Faver, C.A., Cox, M.E.,Callahan, A, 2003Social Work Students' Images of GodSocial Thought 22 (4) 53-74

Images of God are part of social workers' belief systems and can affect their professional practice. This study examined images of God in a sample of fifty-nine social work graduate students, most of whom were white, female, and Protestant. The findings revealed that certain traditional images, such as Spirit and Creator, were likely to be both highly salient (i.e., likely to “come to mind”) and p

Garland, David E., and Garland, Diana R. (2007) Flawed families of the Bible: How God's grace works through imperfect relationshipsGrand Rapids: Brazos Press

In Flawed Families of the Bible, a New Testament scholar (David) and a professor of social work (Diana) take a real and close look at the actual families of the Bible. This honest book will inspire and encourage readers with its focus on the overarching theme of hope and grace for families, showing that it is in the "imperfect places" that we can catch a glimpse of grace. Perfect for pastors, coun

Griffin, Carolyn. (2002). The Nehemiah factor: The missing link in the re-structuring of relationships with self and others.Chicago, IL: Griffin Publishing Co., Inc.

The Nehemiah Factor is a workbook that provides the mental health worker and the clergy an opportunity to "examine themselves" to determine what they believe and why. It also invites the individual to think outside the box in response to pre-set notions, obsolete behaviors, and worn out traditions. It can be a catalyst for serious discussions and targeted change. Jesus the Christ is presented as the ultimate role model, sent by God. This workbook may be shared with an individual client or a group of clients.

Social Work Education

Chaves, M., and Garland, D (2009)Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion Volume 48:4 pp 817-824

The prevalence of clergy sexual advances toward adults in their congregations.

Garland, D.R.,Singletary, J.E., 2008Congregations as Settings for Early Childhood EducationEarly Childhood Services 2 111-128

This study will determine the extent to which early childhood education programs are located in congregations today and the ways in which they are shaped by and can contribute to the mission and life of the faith community.

Garland, David E., & Garland Diana R., 2007Bathsheba's Story: Surviving Abuse and LossFamily and Community Ministries: Empowering Through Faith 21 (1) 22-23

Garland, Diana R. (2003) Emphasizing The Baptist & Christian character of Baylor. Edited by DD. Schmeltekopf and D.M. Vitanza. Waco: Baylor University, 109-112.

Garland, Diana R. (2009)Religiously-affiliated agencies and social work. Oxford Bibliographies On-lineE. Book

This ebook is a static version of an article from Oxford Bibliographies Online: Social Work, a dynamic, continuously updated, online resource designed to provide authoritative guidance through scholarship and other materials relevant to the study and practice of social work. Oxford Bibliographies Online covers most subject disciplines within the social science and humanities, for more information

Hodge, David, and D.F. Gillespie. (2003) Phrase completions: An alternative to Likert scales. Social Work Research, 27(1), 45-55.

The widespread use of Likert scales has fostered a tendency to overlook the limitations of this measurement format. To address this oversight, we delineate the problems associated with Likert scales that foster measurement error, particularly multidimensionality and coarse response categories. An alternative approach, phrase completions, is proposed to circumvent the problems associated with Likert scales. An exploratory test of the phrase completion approach (N = 78) suggests higher levels of reliability and validity. Relative to the values commonly obtained with similar items in Likert format, the reliability coefficients for the phrase completion format showed a substantial increase and the items demonstrated stronger factor loadings.

Hodge, David. (2002) Conceptualizing spirituality in social work: How the metaphysical beliefs of social workers may foster bias toward theistic consumers. Social Thought, 21(1), 39-61

In spite of the growing interest in spirituality, little attention has been paid to how social workers� metaphysical worldviews affect their conceptualizations and subsequent operationalizations of spirituality. This paper explores how the largely nontheistic worldviews of social workers inform their definitions of spirituality, which in turn fosters a systemic bias against the spirituality of consumers who hold theistic belief systems. Examples of how current definitions conflict with a theistic worldview are provided, and it is suggested that the operationalization of existing conceptualizations would yield biased measures that would preassign theistic consumers a lower level of spirituality. Suggestions for addressing the problem conclude the paper.

Hodge, David. (2002) Does social work oppress Evangelical Christians? A new class analysis of society and social work. Social Work, 47(4), 379-387.

This article argues that social work, informed by new class ideology, oppresses Evangelical Christians The article discusses the rise of the new class, along with its attendant ideology, which sanctions and legitimizes discrimination against Evangelicals and other people of faith. The role of social work, a new class profession, in the oppression of Evangelicals is profiled, and its inability to extend tolerance to this population is traced to its new class ideology, which inhibits it from functioning in accordance with its professed values and ethics. Consequently, the article suggests that social work is losing touch with numerous ethnic and religious minority groups, and unless the profession deconstructs the ideology that informs it, it will be unable to provide services to or facilitate dialogue among the increasingly diverse populations of North America .

Hodge, David. (2002) Equipping social workers to address spirituality in practice settings: A model curriculum. Advances in Social Work, 3(2), 85-103.

While there is growing interest in incorporating clients� spiritual beliefs and values into social work practice, studies have repeatedly shown that social workers lack the necessary training to address spiritual issues in a culturally competent manner. This paper addresses this need by providing an annotated spirituality training course for use in various settings. Topics or domains covered in the curriculum include ethics and values, research and theory on spirituality, the nation�s spiritual demographics, the cultures of major spiritual traditions, value conflicts, spiritual interventions, assessment approaches, and the rights of spiritual believers. A number of potential assignments are offered, which are designed to promote practitioner self-awareness, respect for spiritual diversity, and an enhanced ability to assess and operationalize spiritual strengths to ameliorate problems in practice settings.

Raines, James C. (2004) Emotional themes in cross-faith encounters among M.S.W. students: A qualitative exploration. Social Thought, 23(3), 109-125.

Ressler, Lawrence. (2002) Should faith-based social work programs be required to comply with nondiscrimination standards if they violate the beliefs of those institutions? Contributing author to Karger, H.J., Midgley, J., & Brene Brown, C. (Eds.), Controversial Issues in Social Policy. Allyn and Bacon.

Should Faith-Based Social Work Programs be Required to Comply with Nondiscrimination Standards provides a history of the nondiscrimination standard that has led to the recent controversy in social work education, explores the legal and technical issues involved, and presents the case for diversity of thought and context which would allow for varied outcomes to nondiscrimination dilemmas that exist in the profession. Ressler argues that the effort to achieve conformity is a short-sighted totalitarian effort that is more problematic than the problem the nondiscrimination standards are striving to address.

Scales, L., Wolfer, T., Sherwood, D., Garland, D., Hugen, B., & Weaver Pittman, S. (2002) Spirituality and religion in social work practice: Decision cases with case notes. Alexandria, VA: Council on Social Work Education.

Spirituality and Religion in Social Work Practice provides educators and social work trainers/supervisors pilot-tested decision cases for use in social work courses and clinical training and supervision. These decision cases will generate valuable discussion and provide useful resources to strengthen the skills of educators and practitioners who use case studies in their teaching, training, and supervision.

Schobert, Jr. F. Matthew. (2006) Finding our way. In Scales, T.L. and Wolfer, T.A. (Eds). (2006) Decision cases for generalist practice: Thinking like a social worker. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole

Nathan Bierwirth, BSW, was an employment counselor for Pathfinders, a nonprofit agency providing employment services to immigrants, refugees, and asylees. One client, Ayana Tuma, a refugee from Ethiopia, had no educational or work experience and knew no English, which prevented her from participating effectively in employment services classes. When the agency was about to be audited Nathan wondered if he should report Ayana s ESL hours accurately or falsify her Employment Plan. Teaching notes for this case are available online from www.wadsworth.com

Schobert, Jr. F. Matthew. (2006) In good faith. In Wolfer, T.A. and Scales, T.L. (Eds). (2006) Decision cases for advanced practice: Thinking like a social worker. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole

Brandon Dicorte, LMSW, was Development Director for Food for All, a faith-based, non-profit organization educating interns and the local community about sustainable agricultural development. Louis Touissant, an intern from Haiti, left Food for All, but he didn t return to Haiti; he disappeared into the U.S., violating the conditions of his visa. When Brandon and Food for All s Board of Directors learned that Louis hadn t returned home they were confronted with the decision of whether or not to report Louis to Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), now the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Teaching notes for this case are available online from www.wadsworth.com

Sherr, M. E., & Wolfer, T. A. (2004)Teaching content on social work practice with religious congregations: A curriculum module. Advances in Social Work, 5(2): 197-210.

Vanderwoerd J.R Muthengi, E., & Muilenberg, J. (2004). Role conflicts of BSW students and instructors in experiential learning: Lessons from a case study. Journal of Baccalaureate Social Work, 9(2), 31-46.

Experiential learning is an important component of social work education. However, experiential learning contexts often place both students and instructors into multiple, conflicting roles. This paper uses a case study methodology to explore role conflicts experienced by BSW students and an instructor involved in a community change effort on behalf of minority residents in a rural Midwest town. This case suggests that, despite some risks, role conflicts in experiential learning make a positive contribution to social work education. Rather than avoiding or minimizing role conflicts, educators should incorporate these conflicts intentionally but cautiously into the learning experience.


 

If you are an NACSW member and have written a book or article not published by NACSW that you would like to see featured in this section, please send the following information to info@nacsw.org:

  • full bibliographic reference

  • the topical area under which you think the book or article should be placed - either:

    • direct practice

    • faith of the social worker

    • community organizing and development

    • administration and policy

    • social work education

  • a short description (between 50 and 100 words) 

  • website address of the publisher or distributor (like http://www.Amazon.com) through which the book may be ordered

Consistent with its mission, NACSW is primarily interested in books and articles that speak to the integration of Christian faith and social work practice.

 
 

North American Association
of Christians in Social Work

PO Box 121
Botsford CT 06404-0121

Contents © 1998-2010
NACSW. All rights reserved.
Contact Email: info@nacsw.org
Phone: 888.426.4712