The Integration of Clients' Religion and Spirituality in Social Work Practice: A National Survey.

Abstract

This article describes the results of a cross-sectional study of licensed clinical social workers' (LCSWs') views and behaviors related to integrating clients' religion and spirituality in clinical practice. A total of 442 LCSWs from across the United States who advertised their services on the Internet provided anonymous responses to an online administration of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale. The results indicate that LCSWs have positive attitudes, high levels of self-efficacy, and perceive such integration as feasible, but report low levels of engagement in integrating clients' religious and spiritual beliefs into practice. Moreover, two variables emerged as significant predictors for LCSWs' overall orientation toward integrating clients' religion and spirituality in practice: practitioners' intrinsic religiosity and prior training (prior course work or continuing education). Implications and next steps for social work education and continuing training efforts are discussed.