Religion and spirituality in social work
Not what you're looking for?
1. As a social worker, would you include spirituality and religion in your initial assessment of Najeeb? Why or why not?
2. What strategies might you use to ensure that your personal values would not influence your practice with Najeeb? How would these strategies support ethical practice?
3. How would you address the crisis that Najeeb is experiencing?
Najeeb
Najeeb is a 72-year-old Pakistani American who immigrated to the United States 40 years ago. He has two grown daughters, Nasrin and Mira, who live in nearby communities with their families. His wife, Maryam, passed away approximately 10 years ago after a long illness. Najeeb and one of his daughters served as her caregivers
during that time. Najeeb currently lives alone in the house he and his wife bought, in a predominantly Pakistani American neighborhood.
Najeeb owned and ran a popular news stand in the city until 5 years ago, at which point he retired and sold the business. Najeeb disclosed that he enjoyed operating the news stand because he had "a sense of purpose" and "lots of people to talk to." Since retiring, much of his social life has been focused on his Muslim faith and his family, with worship at the mosque and visits with his daughters and grandchildren. His routine has also included daily walks around the neighborhood for fresh air and communion with others.
Recently, Najeeb has begun to experience health-related concerns which have impacted his ability to walk and socialize with peers. Najeeb disclosed that religion is a big part of his life; however, he now has limited ability to ambulate, so he cannot engage in daily ritual prayer in the manner he is used to. He also cannot easily get to the
mosque, as he does not own a car, cannot walk, and public transportation is difficult for him to navigate. According to Najeeb's daughters, these mobility concerns have had a major impact on his psychological functioning. Nasrin and Mira have recognized a change in their father's demeanor, describing him as "depressed" and "hopeless." They encouraged Najeeb to reach out to the local agency on aging for assistance.
Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary
The use of religion and spirituality in social work is explained in the context of a case study.
Solution Preview
1. As a social worker, I will include spirituality and religion in my initial assessment of Najeeb. Najeeb is now experiencing health-related problems that have impacted his ability to walk and socialize with peers. At the same time, Najeeb has disclosed that religion is an important part of his life, because of his health problem cannot engage in daily ritual prayers, and he cannot easily get to the mosque. Moreover, since Najeeb retired his social life had been focused on his Muslim faith and his worship at the mosque. Since the reduction of these activities has occurred, Najeeb has turned depressed and hopeless. It is important to include spirituality and religion in my initial assessment because it is the sudden reduction in spirituality and religion that seems to be responsible for Najeeb's depression and hopelessness (a). There is an important role played by religion and spirituality in the life of Najeeb. He must be holding beliefs that are both intrinsic and extrinsic. Najeeb's spiritual consciousness manifests through his religious beliefs and practices. In the context of Najeeb, interaction with religious beliefs and spiritual consciousness is very important and ...
Education
- MBA, Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management
- BSc, University of Calcutta
Recent Feedback
- "awesome"
- "Appreciate the help. This is Awesome"
- "Thanks, awesome notes!!! "
- "AWESOME!!!!!!!!"
- "Great notes, I appreciate the help"
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Post-Partum Depression
As an educator and/or in any other professional capacity working with families, identifying the risks of Post-Partum Depression is important safety knowledge. This quiz provides a basic overview of symptoms and risk factors that may impact parents' adjustment to the birth of a new baby.