Clients and Prayer

No matter what the personal beliefs of a Social Worker are, it is guaranteed that at some point in their career they will encounter a client who feel strongly about their religious beliefs. Depending on the agency type, Social Workers may be more or less likely to encounter clients with strongly held beliefs. But what should be done if a Social Worker is asked to pray for a client? Below are some tips when considering this issue:

Meet the Client Where They Are:

Meeting clients and families where they are is a main tenant of the Social Work profession. In addition to meeting clients where they are arguments could be made that honoring the request a client has to pray for them also meets the Social Work values of respecting the dignity and worth of a person, and valuing human relationships. Therefore, if a Social Worker is involved with a client who requests/asks a worker to pray for, or with them, it may be reasonable to engage in that request especially if a worker assesses that refusing to pray for or with a client could damage the relationship. However, a Social Worker will want to make sure that they are not injecting any of their own beliefs into the discussion as doing so could cross into the gray area of blurred boundaries.

Do Not Espouse Your Own Beliefs:

As mentioned above, a Social Worker should avoid conveying their own religious beliefs to a client. There are many reasons that a worker would want to steer clear of such behavior including blurred boundaries and the potential for a significant amount of self-disclosure to occur. Instead of over sharing their personal beliefs, Social Workers should instead seek to clarify a client’s religious beliefs so that the worker can more fully understand the request, and serve the needs of their client.

Refer to a More Qualified Party for Follow Up:

At the beginning and conclusion of the interaction a Social Worker should offer to refer the client to a more qualified party, such as the client’s religious leader or agency Chaplin for follow up. These individuals have specific training which qualify them to address the religious needs of a client more fully. Doing so also helps to ensure that the Social Worker maintains appropriate ethical boundaries with their clients.  

While the act of praying with clients is not itself an ethical violation due to its sensitive nature, as well as the climate of today’s society, it is becoming increasingly important for Social Workers to receive clear direction on the topic of prayer involving their work with clients. Social Workers should remember to meet clients where they are with regard to their religious needs, not attempt to espouse any of their personal beliefs during their work with clients, and to always refer to the client’s religious leader or agency Chaplin for appropriate follow up.

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