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FamilyLightsm Guidelines for
Spiritual Life
and Religion
Very few programs meet our standards on this issue and we see no
excuse. But finding programs that do will be difficult. We realize it is
difficult to support spiritual growth in clients when there is so much
difference and controversy over what is best. However, we think there
are ways to get the job done. That difficulty does not justify and
anti-religion bias. We see that, too. We also have
programs with labels associated with various religions that are simply
trying to market an inferior program.
- The
Hill School in Pottstown, PA (a conventional boarding
school, not a therapeutic program) is not church affiliated.
However every week the students meet in an auditorium, where the
program includes one faculty member, a different one each week,
standing up and sharing his/her own personal spiritual journey.
-
Family Foundation School near Hancock, NY requires all
students to participate in religious observances of all faiths
represented.
- Many programs promote spirituality as offered in twelve step
groups, with the concept of “higher power.”
- Many programs rely on a Native American observance of
spirituality, as it is understood that there is no effort to
make this anyone’s religion, but to have a sense of the how it
feels to be spiritual.
However:
- A number of
programs with privileges tied to a "levels" system make
participation in religious activities including attendance at
public worship a privilege of advancement in the levels system.
- Many programs (not all) that describe themselves as
“Christian,” are providing inferior services that hide behind the term
“Christian” as vehicle to make money and avoid accountability. Some are
truly dedicated ministries. Many are money making scams.
- Very few
programs support religious milestones such as Bar Mitzvah, and
confirmation.
- Very few
programs offer special diet according to religion or permit
observance of special days.
Spiritual development and religion are two different things, although
related. The late H. Stephen Glenn
http://capabilitiesinc.com/
described the foundation of spirituality as perceiving oneself as being
a contributing part of something larger than self.
As a starting point for guidelines
we suggest:
- Programs need to recognize that spiritual health is an
important part of mental health. Programs need to explain
clearly how they incorporate spiritual health into their
program.
- Programs should
provide means for clients to adhere to expectations of their
religion, especially with respect to diet and observance of
special days.
- Tying
participation in religious activities and celebrations to levels
systems is, in our opinion, while a common practice, is a
totally unacceptable interference in a family's right to choose
their religious practice. (This does not mean to imply that we
object to tying attendance at community religious services to
reasonable confidence in the client's ability to participate in
religious activities safely and non-disruptively.)
- Programs need to validate and encourage clients to follow
the milestones and faith commitments of the religion of their
home. Religious neutrality should not support a peer culture of
opting out of religion and spirituality.
- Sectarian programs should not use the time of behavioral or
mental health crisis to attempt a religious conversion. A
sectarian program can be very helpful in using a client’s
existing religion as a support for recovery.
Last updated May 15, 2008
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