The milestone text integrating the disciplines of social work and divinity! In everyday life, spirituality and the practice of effective social work are inseparable. As a result, professionals and social service administrators have in recent years felt a stronger obligation to attend to the spiritual needs of clients. Social Work and Divinity examines the potential of integrating the disciplines of social work with divinity to achieve positive results in practice while answering spiritual concerns. Internationally respected scholars from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds discuss the academic as well as the practical issues involved in the establishment and growth of dual degree programs. Social Work and Divinity comprehensively explores both the theoretical and the practical foundations of joint professional education and practice for social work and divinity dual degree programs. The book provides suggestions that will guide educators, practitioners, administrators, and students to develop spiritually sensitive approaches to counseling people. Emerging human needs are explored, along with the challenges inherent in the multiple roles a counselor must adopt when developing an interdisciplinary approach. Well-reasoned, insightful, thoroughly referenced, empirically reinforced with tables, this is an essential text sure to become a choice educational reference. Social Work and Divinity discusses: the role of religion and spirituality in clinical social work the challenges for students integrating the curriculums of social work and divinity the collaboration to respond to the broader demands of emerging human needs the empirical evidence advocating the benefits of dual degree programs the challenges for educational institutions adopting dual degree programs in social work and divinity the formation of a professional identity in dual degree training and supervision the issues of teaching about organized religion in social work practical advice on integrating religion and social work the role of faith and spirituality in social work education Social Work and Divinity is a milestone textbook for graduate schools of social work and divinity and an essential resource for students and faculty involved in each discipline or in dual degree programs.

Gain a new perspective on the international implications of our aging population This comprehensive book examines a broad array of international concerns in gerontology. Issues in Global Aging addresses the implications of the rapid growth in elderly populations in both the Third World and industrialized nations including the US, Israel, Pakistan, and the UK. It examines successful policy and programmatic approaches to dealing with the practical needs of older citizens for health care, pensions, work, and personal care.Issues in Global Aging brings together case studies, empirical research, and theoretical exploration of policies and services for the elderly around the world. It also considers the spiritual dimension of aging and the influence of various religious and cultural beliefs on gerontology policy and practice.Issues in Global Aging addresses urgent questions concerning the ever-increasing elderly population, including: what are the economic implications of the demographic shift toward an older population? who is responsible for caring for the elderly in various cultures? how can older people find economic security? how does spiritual practice give older people self-esteem and a sense of personal meaning?Issues in Global Aging is an essential source of fresh thought and useful research for gerontologists, social workers, policymakers, economists, and ministers who work with older people.

In recent years, scholars in the fields of refugee studies and forced migration have extended their areas of interest and research into the phenomenon of displacement, human response to it, and ways to intervene to assist those affected, increasingly focusing on the emotional and social impact of displacement on refugees and their adjustment to the traumatic experiences. In the process, the positive concept of "psychosocial wellness" was developed as discussed in this volume. In it noted scholars address the strengths and limitations of their investigations, citing examples from their work with refugees from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Palestine, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Eastern Europe, Bosnia, and Chile. The authors discuss how they define "psychosocial wellness," as well as the issues of sample selection, measurement, reliability and validity, refugee narratives and "voices," and the ability to generalize findings and apply these to other populations. The key question that has guided many of these investigations and underlies the premise of this book is "what happens to an ordinary person who has experienced an extraordinary event?" This volume also highlights the fact that those involved in such research must also deal with their own emotional responses as they hear victims tell of killing, torture, humiliation, and dispossesion. The volume will therefore appeal to practitioners of psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, and anthropology. However, its breadth and the evaluation of the strengths and disadvantages of both qualitative and quantitative methods also make it an excellent text for students.

In recent years, scholars in the fields of refugee studies and forced migration have extended their areas of interest and research into the phenomenon of displacement, human response to it, and ways to intervene to assist those affected, increasingly focusing on the emotional and social impact of displacement on refugees and their adjustment to the traumatic experiences. In the process, the positive concept of "psychosocial wellness" was developed as discussed in this volume. In it noted scholars address the strengths and limitations of their investigations, citing examples from their work with refugees from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Palestine, Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, Eastern Europe, Bosnia, and Chile. The authors discuss how they define "psychosocial wellness," as well as the issues of sample selection, measurement, reliability and validity, refugee narratives and "voices," and the ability to generalize findings and apply these to other populations. The key question that has guided many of these investigations and underlies the premise of this book is "what happens to an ordinary person who has experienced an extraordinary event?" This volume also highlights the fact that those involved in such research must also deal with their own emotional responses as they hear victims tell of killing, torture, humiliation, and dispossesion. The volume will therefore appeal to practitioners of psychology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, and anthropology. However, its breadth and the evaluation of the strengths and disadvantages of both qualitative and quantitative methods also make it an excellent text for students.