International Network on Spiritual Diversity in Social Work
Persons included in this network have graciously agreed to serve as contacts for social work scholars and practitioners who would like to learn about activities related to spiritual diversity and social work around the world. Each person in the network may be able to make referrals to research efforts, curriculum materials, professional organizations, and other scholars and practitioners in their world region and languages. They are aware of the state of the art in their countries regarding incorporation of spirituality into professional social work. Hopefully, this network can encourage mutual support, collaboration, and creative initiatives among social workers internationally.
The list is organized according to major world regions in alphabetical order. Countries and participants’ names are listed in alphabetical order.
Country: South Africa
Languages: English
Person and Title: Raisuyah Bhagwan, MA Social Science, Ph.D. (Social Work), Dr.
Organizational Address: Department of Child and Youth Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology
Email Address: bhagwanr@dut.ac.za
Special Interests: Integrating spirituality into South African social work education and practice; Spirituality and Hinduism.
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Country: South Africa
Languages: English
Person and Title: Therese (Terry) Sacco, B.A. (social work Honours), M.Ed, Ph.D. Candidate, Lecturer
Organizational Address: University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Email Address: terrys@uj.ac.za
Special Interests: Spirituality and reconciliation in post-apartheid social work; social work education; international social work collaborations; anti-discriminatory social work practice and community development.
Country: China
Languages: Chinese, English
Person and Title: Cecilia Chan, Ph.D., R.S.W., J.P.; Head of Department, Si Yuan Professor in Health and Social Work; Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Administration,
Organizational Address: The University of Hong Kong, ROOM 545, Jockey Club Tower, The Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR).
Email Address: cecichan@hku.hk; +852-3917-2288; Website: http://www.socialwork.hku.hk
Special Interests: Spirituality and holistic approaches to health in social work; Integration of Eastern and Western therapies
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Country: Japan
Languages: Japanese, English
Person and Title: Keiko I, Kano, MA., Professor
Organizational Address: Department of Social Welfare, Kyoto Koka Women’s University, 38 Kadonocho, Nisikyogoku, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan, 615-0882
Email Address: keiko@mail.koka.ac.jp
Special Interests: Spirituality and community action in Japan; women’s issues; disability issues
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Country: Japan
Languages: Japanese, English
Person and Title: Kihara Katsunobu, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Organizational Address: Department of Social Welfare, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Ohsawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, Japan, 192-0397
Email Address: kkihara@mail.doshisha.ac.jp
Special Interests:
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Country: Japan
Languages: Japanese, English
Person and Title: Yoshiharu Nakagawa, D.Ed., Professor
Organizational Address: Graduate School of Science for Human Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 56-1 Tojiin Kita-machi, Kita-kn, Kyoto, Japan, 603-8577
Email Address: ynaka@lt.ritsumei.ac.jp
Special Interests: holistic education and human sciences, Eastern philosophy and human services
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Country: Japan
Languages: Japanese, English
Person and Title: Miwa Fujii, Ph.D., Professor
Organizational Address: School of Human Welfare Studies , Center Director, Center for Thanatology & Spirituality, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1-1-155 Uegahara, Nishinomiya,662-8501 JAPAN
Email Address: mfujii@kwansei.ac.jp
Special Interests: Thanatology, Spirituality, Social Work, Death Education
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Country: Korea
Languages: Korean, English
Person and Title: Hesook Lee, Ph.D., Lecturer
Organizational Address: Department of Social Work, College of Buddhist Studies, Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea
Email Address: hesookl@hotmail.com
Special Interests: Buddhist philosophy and social service
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Country: Korea
Languages: Korean, English
Person and Title: Seung-Hee Park, Ph.D., Professor
Organizational Address: Social of Social Welfare, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea
Email Address: shpark@skku.edu
Special Interests: Spirituality and social policy; Eastern philosophy and social work
Country: Australia
Languages: English
Person and Title: Sue Rice, Ph.D. Candidate
Organizational Address: University of Queensland, Australia
Email Address: s.rice@social.uq.edu.au
Special Interests: Spirituality and social work practice
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Country: New Zealand
Languages: English
Person and Title: Mary Nash, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer
Organizational Address: School of Sociology, Social Policy, and Social Work, Massey University, private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Email Address: m.nash@massey.ac.nz
Special Interests: spirituality and cultural diversity in social work; counseling and communication skills; oral history of social work education in New Zealand
Country: Costa Rica
Languages: Spanish, English
Person and Title: Gerardo Casas, MSW, Professor
Organizational Address: School of Social Work, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
Email Address: g.casas@cariari.ucr.ac.cr (Spanish) or c/o Ligia Salazar (for English or Spanish) taichicr@hotmail.com
Special Interests: Spirituality in family therapy; emerging concept of spirituality in Central American social work
Country: Austria
Languages: German, English
Person and Title: Michael Striebel, Ph.D., Professor (retired)
Organizational Address: n/a
Email Address: michael.striebel@cable.vol.at
Special Interests: Spirituality and peace movements; nonviolent conflict resolution; trauma therapy
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Country: Croatia
Languages: Croatian, English
Person and Title: Jelena Ivelic, Assistant Professor
Organizational Address: office A214, Koprivnica, Trg dr. Žarka Dolinara 1
Email Address: jelena.ivelic@unin.hr
Special Interests: Spirituality; Hagiotherapy
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Country: Germany
Languages: German, English
Person and Title: Joachim Wieler, Ph.D., Professor (retired)
Organizational Address: n/a
Email Address: j.wieler@t-online.de
Special Interests: Conceptualizing spirituality for German social work; international social work; wilderness practice
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Country: Denmark
Languages: Danish, English, German
Person and Title: Christian Warnke Dalgas, MA. Psychology
Organizational Address: Danish School for Social Workers, Jens Chr. Skous Vej 2, 8100 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Email Address: cwd@dsj-aa.dk
Special Interests: Science, spirituality and social work. Theorists: Ken Wilber and A. H. Almaas.
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Country: UK
Languages: English
Person and Title: Bernard R Moss, Professor of Social Work Education and Spirituality and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy UK
Organizational Address: Social Work Education and Spirituality, Staffordshire University
Brindley Building, Leek road, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire UK ST4 2DF
Email Address: b.r.moss@staffs.ac.uk
Country: Israel, Arab and Muslim peoples
Languages: Arabic, English
Person and Title: Alean Al-Krenawi, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Organizational Address: Chairman, Spitzer Department of Social Work, ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
Email Address: alean@bgumai.bgu.ac.il
Special Interests: Spirituality and multicultural social work practice; mental health and traditional healing among Arab and Muslim peoples
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Country: Israel
Languages: Hebrew, English
Person and Title: Liora Birnbaum, Ph.D., Assistant Chair, Dep. of Social Work.
Organizational Address: Private Practice, 24 Sokolove, Apt. 82, Hod Hasharon, Israel.
Email Address: lbirnbaum@hush.com, lbir@013net.net
Special Interests: Mindfulness meditation and the development of the self concept, Spirituality and the development of professional self among social work students, Differentiation of the self in the family
Country: Canada
Languages: English
Person and Title: John Coates, Ph.D., Professor (retired)
Organizational Address: St. Thomas University
Email Address: jcoates@stu.ca
Special Interests: spirituality and ecophilosophy in social work
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Country: USA
Languages: English
Person and Title: Edward R. Canda, MA, MSW, PhD
Organizational Address: School of Social Welfare, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA, 66045-3129
Email Address: edc@ku.edu
Special Interests: Spirituality and cultural diversity in social work; East Asian philosophy and social work; international networking; transpersonal theory
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Country: USA
Languages: English
Person and Title: Leola Dyrud Furman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus
Organizational Address: n/a
Email Address: FurmanLFurman@aol.com
Special Interests: Spirituality and social work practice and education; international research on spirituality in social work (esp. United Kingdom, Norway)
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Country: USA
Languages: English, French
Person and Title: John Graham, Ph.D., Professor
Organizational Address: Director and Professor, School of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida, 33431, USA
Email Address: grahamj@fau.edu; Dr. Graham's website (link)
Special Interests: Cross-cultural perspectives on spirituality and social work; history of social welfare and spirituality
Country: USA, Korea
Languages: Korean, English
Person and Title: Daniel B. Lee, DSW, Professor
Organizational Address: School of Social Work, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Email Address: dlee@wpo.it.luc.edu
Special Interests: Spirituality in family therapy and social work; transcultural relations
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Country: USA, Korea
Languages: Korean, English
Person and Title: Jung Hee Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor
Organizational Address: Department of Social Work, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas, USA
Email Address: jhlee3@fhsu.edu
Special Interests: Spirituality in social work
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Country: USA
Languages: English
Person and Title: Holly Nelson-Becker, Ph.D., Professor
Organizational Address: School of Social Work,Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Email Address: hnelsonbecker@luc.edu
Special Interests: Spirituality and aging; loss, grief, and dying well; Defining wisdom, a multidimensional consideration of practical wisdom in older adults; promoting leadership development in social work students with aging concentrations.
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Country: USA
Languages: English
Person and Title: Anne Nichols, DSW, Associate Professor Emerita, former Director of the Society for Spirituality and Social Work
Organizational Address: n/a
Email Address: ann.nichols@asu.edu
Special Interests: Educational innovations about spirituality in social work; professional networking; women's issues
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Country: USA
Languages: English
Person and Title: Vincent Starnino, PhD, Assistant Professor, Indiana University School of Social Work
Organizational Address: School of Social Work, Indiana University, 902 W. New York St., ES 4104, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Email Address: vstarnin@iupui.edu
Special Interests: Mental Health and spirituality in social work
