100727: Spirituality and People with Mental Illness

About the Course:

Spirituality often plays a central role in helping people with mental illness cope and recover. Assessment provides a vehicle for understanding and utilizing clients’ spiritual strengths, and, consequently, practitioners are increasingly asked to conduct a spiritual assessment. This article provides a framework for an initial spiritual assessment that complies with recent JCAHO (2002) recommendations. Suggestions for spiritually competent practice are provided, including guidelines for discerning authentic spiritual experiences from manifestations of mental illness that reflect spiritual content. The article concludes by reviewing a number of spiritual interventions that may flow from a spiritual assessment. COURSE SYLLABUS I. Introduction II. Spiritual Assessment III. Spiritual Competency IV. Discerning “Normal” Spirtuality V. Spiritual Interventions VI. Conclusion

Publication Date:

2004/ Vol. 85, No. 1

Author

David R. Hodge, PhD

About the Author:

University of Pennsylvania

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, psychologists, and other human services and behavioral health professionals who seek knowledge about spirituality and mental health. It is appropriate for participants with all levels of knowledge about the topic.

Course Objectives:

1. describe a framework for an initial spiritual assessment.

2. identify suggestions for spiritually competent practice and interventions.