The discussion of spirituality and religion (S/R) in social work is a prevalent topic within the field. Literature suggests that social workers do not feel competent or comfortable discussing or utilizing S/R in practice. This study focused on identifying factors that may be causing resistance in social workers from the Inland Empire of Southern California towards addressing S/R with their clients. The researchers interviewed eight social workers from diverse areas of practice via telephone and in-person. Data was collected via audio-recording and later transcribed for thematic analysis. Participants were asked an array of questions including their own experience with their spirituality and current comfort level with asking their clients about S/R. Through the findings, it appears that social workers’ comfort level stems from various aspects including a sense of unease regarding their knowledge on various belief systems. The results indicated that once clients are asked about their spiritual and/or religious beliefs, clients are able to engage in a discussion about their definition of their own beliefs and determine the direction of the topic.

This thesis attempted to examine the effects of on-call work schedules on professional social workers. This was achieved through the use of a demographic survey and qualitative face-to-face and phone interviews. A total of 15 interview questions were explored, the subjects included: the impacts of on-call work on psychological, physiological, emotional well-being and work family balance of professional social workers. Participants were recruited using availability sampling and the sample size consisted of nine participants. The nine interviews were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. The researcher identified common themes related to on-call work schedules. Results found that participants suffered familial disruption as well as impacts on their well-being and support system. There was also a lack of access to patient information and similar difficulties experienced by participants while on-call. Participants also provided suggestions in order to improve on-call experiences. It is recommended that similar studies be conducted on a larger sample size to insure generalizability and a greater understanding of the impacts on-call work has on the social work profession.