Spirituality Matters in Social Work ─ Connecting Spirituality, Religion, and Practice

Offering a focus that is lacking (or not clearly evident) in most spirituality books, Dudley addresses specific ways of incorporating spirituality into practice and integrates many of the contributions of other writers into an overall eclectic practice approach. His approach revolves around many of the core competencies of the EPAS accreditation (CSWE, 2008). Most of the core competencies are addressed with an emphasis on professional identity, ethical practice, critical thinking, diversity, practice contexts, and, a major practice framework of the book, the practice stages of engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation.

James (Jim) Dudley has been involved in spirituality activities and their role in social work practice for many years. Besides teaching numerous Spirituality and Social Work courses at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, he has also conducted research and published on the topic, as well as led several retreats and workshops. He has a Master’s Degree in Spirituality Studies and has completed training in spiritual direction. He also has an MSW Degree and Ph.D. in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in North Carolina.