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 TheologyVirginia Theological Seminary,

Alexandria, VA

Disclosures of Potential ConflictsSource Research

FundingAdvisor/

Consultant

Employee Speakers’

Bureau

Books, Intellectual

Property

In-kind Services

(example: travel)

Stock or Equity > $10,000

Honorarium or

expenses for this

presentation or

meeting

AACAP Travel and expenses

honorarium

Louisville Institute

2 grantsCongregational studies

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will become aware of the wide variety of education, professional backgrounds, work settings, job descriptions and services offered by clergy/religious professionals.

2. 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.

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.

Learning Objectives, continued

WHO AND WHAT ARE CLERGY AND RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS?

RABBI Chaplain Imam Sister DEACONswami GURU father Reverend TEACHERDirector of Religious Educati on cantor Spiritual Director Parish Nurse BrotherPRIEST Shaman Evangelist ABBOT

Religion and Spirituality as Worldview:

• Narrative

• Belief system includes practices

• Often connected to identity, race, ethnicity

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

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

Common Terms & Titles:

• Rabbi• Priest• Minister• Imam• Pastor• Swami• Guru• Pastoral Counselor• CPE Supervisor

• Reverend• Pastor• Father/Mother• Sister/Brother• Elder• Chaplain• Deacon• Cantor

Work of RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONALS

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

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

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

RELIGIOUS/ SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY AND THE CLERGY OR RELIGIOUS PROFESSIONAL

Sacred text mediator INSPIRED

PROPHETIC WITNESS cultural guide

Sage Healer SACRAMENTprayer leader ETHICIST

AUTHORITY

• Important differences among religions, subgroups, regions

• Ascribed vs. Achieved

• Immigrant and refugee communities

• Hierarchical and Congregational polities

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

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

No particular requirements

Extensive graduate education and certification

?

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

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

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”

Specialized training/accreditation

• Chaplains

• Educators

• Pastoral Counselors

• Clinical Pastoral Education

• AAPC• AACC• NACC• Muslim Chaplaincy

Association• Dual Degrees• “Second Career”

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)

Help Seeking from Clergy heightened among:

• Ethnic and racial minority groups

• Rural population

• Some adolescents

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%)

How important is religion to people?

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

UNDERSTANDING RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND FAITH COMMUNITIES

CHURCH WORSHIP CENTER PARISH SYNAGOGUE

temple MOSQUE Study Center ashram

CONGREGATION CHAPLAINCY CAMPUS MINISTRY CENTERFELLOWSHIP CATHEDRAL mission gurdwara

HOUSE OF PRAYER SHRINE FAITH BASED ORGANIZATION YMCA Jewish Community Center Christian Science Reading Room TABERNACLE

Where do religious professionals and clergy work?

• Most common = leaders of congregations, synagogues, mosques, “houses of worship”

335,000 Christian congregations in US3,700 Jewish congregations 1,660 Muslim mosques2228 Buddhist centers69 Jain centers 274 Hindu

temples/centers

“Pastoral” Role: 5 Functions

1.Healing—promoting resiliency, coping, & return to wholeness

2.Guiding—helping persons and communities make difficult decisions

3.Sustaining—support, engaging resources of faith to deal with suffering

4. Reconciling—encouraging “right relationship” through practices of forgiveness

• mediating conflict• promoting community

4. Advocating—assisting persons through addressing structural & systems issues

• work to overcome inequities, meet needs• promote justice

Hartford study on congregations in communities:

Average congregation has partnerships with 6 community organizations

• Money• Volunteers• In-kind donations• Space• Staff time

Direct service

Education health, culture

Community Develop.

Self-Help & Per-sonal

Growth

Advocacy

WHAT CONGREGATIONS OFFER

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

Community Outreach Services

• Transportation assistance• Voter registration• Job training

Medical Services

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

Mental Health Services and Support

• Pastoral counselors and counseling centers• Twelve Step programs• Support groups

Culturally based ministries

• Ethnic houses of worship• Language services• Socialization• Acculturation

Miscellaneous

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

Parachurch Organizations

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

Congregations offer resources of

• Religious and spiritual “capital”

• Cost effective extensions of care through concrete services and supports

• “Social capital”

STRATEGIES FOR COLLABORATION

Consultation Spiritual Assessment trauma response team member Information Resource DISCHARGE PLANNING ritual healing critical incident debriefing

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

Absence of good collegial working relationships between mental health

professionals and religious professionals

Primary issue:

Current Issues

• HIPAA and privacy concerns

• Immigration issues

• Potential clash of worldviews

• Declining public trust

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

Religion helps alleviate stress, promotes coping:

1. Promotes positive worldview2. Helps make sense of difficult situations3. Gives purpose and meaning4. Discourages maladaptive coping5. Enhances social support6. Promotes other-directedness7. Helps release the need for control8. Provides and encourages forgiveness9. Encourages thankfulness10. Provides hope.

FIVE STRATEGIES FOR COLLABORATION① 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!)

② 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.

③INVOLVEMENTIn spiritual assessment and discharge planning

To provide religious resources in therapeutic processRitual and sacramentalSupport- and direct services

On committees and work groupstrauma response teams ethics committees adolescent suicide prevention task forces

④EDUCATIONClergy 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

⑤Cultivating Mutual Respect

+acknowledgement and ‘non-violent communication’

+curiosity and openness to different worldviews

+appreciation of particular abilities, education, and/or authority in community

Context for Current Focus: Common Ground for Religion and Mental Health

• Mutual concern to ameliorate suffering and distress

• Interested in promoting health, well-being, thriving of persons and groups

• Recognition of persons as bio-psycho-social-spiritual calls for collaborative engagement.

• Meaning • Balance• Vocation/Purpose• Community• Wholeness• Reconciliation

Gifts of Religion and Spirituality at their Best

Self-Test Questions

1. The usual title for religious professionals who are employees of a hospital, prison, or other institutional setting is:

A. MasjidB. ChaplainC. CounselorD. Professor

2. The most common graduate degree for clergy education, involving 3-5 years of study beyond the undergraduate degree, is the

A. M.Div. –Master of DivinityB. M.Min.—Master of MinistryC. Ph.D.—Doctor of PhilosophyD. M.S.W.—Master of Social Work

3. Community clergy and religious professionals:

A. Undergo a uniform, common credentialing process across faith traditions.

B. Are required to undergo Clinical Pastoral Education in psychiatric facilities before ordination therefore they all know how to recognize mental illnesses.

C. Are respected leaders and spokespersons for their communities who help facilitate access to mental health systems.

D. oppose the use of psychiatric medications in favor of spiritual cures.

4. In what ways are religious congregations a resource for the health of children and families?

A. They provide financial help if the family already belongs to the congregation.

B. They can strengthen religious/spiritual supports for coping with difficulty, along with providing services such as transportation or emergency financial assistance.

C. They promote insularity among ethno-religious groups to keep families separated.

D. They offer promises of a better future and send children away.

5. One strategy for better collaboration between child and adolescent psychiatrists and clergy is:

A. Forming a network of clergy and religious professionals with whom to consult.

B. Asking families to give up most of their religious practices.

C. Avoid talking about differences.D. None. JCAHO prohibits

collaboration with clergy.

Selected References

Dell, M. L. (2004). Religious Professionals and Institutions: Untapped Resources for Clinical Care. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinics of North America, 13(1), 85-110.

Koenig, H. G. (2005). Faith and mental health : religious resources for healing. Philadelphia: Templeton Foundation Press.

Vandecreek, L., Carl, D., & Parker, D. (1998). The Role of Nonparish Clergy in the Mental Health System. In H. G. Koenig (Ed.), Handbook of Religion and Mental Health (pp. 337-348). San Diego: Academic Press.

Weaver, A. J., Flannelly, K. J., Flannelly, L. T., & Oppenheimer, J. E. (2003). Collaboration Between Clergy and Mental Health Professionals: A Review of Professional Health Care Journals From 1980-1990. Counseling and Values, 47(April 2003), 162-171.

Helpful Websites:

• Hartford Institute for Religion Researchhttp://hirr.hartsem.edu/

• Faith Communities Todayhttp://faithcommunitiestoday.org/

• The Pluralism Project (Harvard) http://pluralism.org/