IST2106-1HY-WI15 - Substance Abuse & Dependence

Course Description

            Assessing how people cope with stress is an important aspect of pastoral and spiritual care to persons, families, and communities. In this course we explore compulsive coping patterns and substance use disorders.  We will bring psychological and theological perspectives on compulsive coping and substance abuse and dependence into dialogue. We will explore the emotionally based lived theologies that are part of life-limiting and troublesome pleasure-seeking and coping. We will use communication skills from motivational interviewing to help people draw positively on religion and spirituality to moderate or abstain from their use of troublesome coping and substance use disorders. We will also use theories of intersectionality to explore how stress and coping are shaped by intersecting social systems that afford or deny social privileges. These theories and skills will be used within an intercultural contextual approach to spiritual care that draws upon postmodern approaches to religious knowledge.  In strategies for care we will focus on how spiritual caregivers need to be able to

1. provide mental health first aid (not ongoing psychotherapy) that respects where people are in the change process,

2. help people use spiritual practices to cope with stress and spiritually 'surf' through cravings,

3. help people explore ambivalence in terms of life-limiting embedded theologies and life-giving intentional theologies

4. help people find relationships and communities that support change and spiritual integration.

This course forms students to be pastoral and spiritual caregivers within a spiritually, socially complex world in ways that deeply engage religious and cultural traditions.

Course Overview

In the online component of this hybrid praxis students will share case study assignments in small groups.

In the face to face component, Professor Doehring will discuss troublesome coping and substance use disorders from pastoral theological perspectives, with opportunity for the online small groups to meet in discussion groups. 

Course Objectives focusing on spiritual care:

Part A. To imagine pastoral and spiritual care as a four-step process of spiritual care for those struggling with substance use disorders:

1. Connecting with God/the goodness of self and others through compassion-based spiritual practices
2. Identifying ways of coping with stress and experiencing pleasure/relief
3. Exploring how these ways of coping/experiencing pleasure are part of emotionally based embedded theologies of interlocking values, beliefs, and coping that are shaped by intersecting social systems of oppression like racism, sexism, and classism
4. Cocreating intentional theologies experienced through compassion-based spiritual practices, which are flexible, integrated, capable of complex meanings, and relationally connected within life-giving webs within families, organization, and communities.

Part B. To increase our capacity as spiritual caregivers who embody compassion and who can guide others through a process of liberative spiritual integration that increases well-being of persons and organizations.

 

Course Objectives focusing on core competencies that religious leaders need in order to appropriately respond to substance abuse disorders[1]

• Be aware of the generally accepted definition of alcohol and drug dependence and the societal stigma attached to alcohol and drug dependence.
• Be knowledgeable about the signs of alcohol and drug dependence, characteristics of withdrawal, effects on the individual and the family, and characteristics of the stages of recovery.
• Be aware that possible indicators of the disease may include, among others, marital conflict, family violence (physical, emotional, and verbal), suicide, hospitalization, or encounters with the criminal justice system.
• Understand that addiction erodes and blocks religious and spiritual development, and be able to communicate effectively the importance of spirituality and the practice of religion in recovery, using critical perspectives to draw upon the scripture, traditions, and rituals of the faith community in theologically sophisticated ways.
• Be aware of the potential benefits of early intervention to the addicted person, family system, and affected children.
• Be able to communicate and sustain an appropriate level of concern and messages of hope and caring.
• Be familiar with and utilize available community resources to ensure a continuum of care for the addicted person, family system, and affected children.
• Have a general knowledge of and, where possible, exposure to Alcoholics Anonymous.
• Be able to acknowledge and address values, issues, and attitudes regarding alcohol and drug use and dependence in oneself and one's own family.
• Be able to shape, form, and educate a caring congregation that welcomes and supports persons and families affected by alcohol and drug dependence.
• Be aware of how prevention strategies can benefit the larger community.

---

[1] These core competencies were identified by an expert interdenominational consensus panel  that was part of the Clergy Training Project supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (http://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/competency.pdf)

Case Study Assignment and Responses (80% of p/f grade)

Attendance at both days of the praxis is mandatory in order to take the course.

Part 1: Case Study to be posted on Canvas to your care team forum by midnight Sunday, January 18, 2015. Please label your word file with your last name first, as in Doehring Case Study Assignment

Part 2:  Post responses to all care members of your team by Sunday, January 25. (10% of case study grade)

Part 3: PostReflections on Learnings (20% of p/f grade)

Post your reflections to your care team by midnight, February 8^th, 2015. You may use bullet points.

1. What did you learn that was valuable?
2. What difference will this praxis make in the caregiving you need or offer?
3. What questions remain and what might you do to get answers?

 

Course Texts

Friday January 30, 1 – 4.30 pm

1pm Opening with a centering practice fostering compassion for each other

1.05 pm  Introductions

1.25 pm  Our learning covenant (to be posted on Canvas)

1.30 pm Coping with stress, experiencing pleasure, and substance use disorders: Pastoral and spiritual care perspectives                      

2.30 pm   Break

2.45 pm   Group reflections on your case studies

4.15 p.m.  Closing reflections

Saturday, January 31 9 am – 4.30

9.00 am  Opening with a centering practice; Understanding coping with stress, experiencing pleasure in terms of spiritual orienting systems and lived theologies involving shame, guilt, or fear.

Using James Nelson’s book as a case study

The unique role of pastoral and spiritual care: constructing intentional theologies based on compassion and hope. Dr. Doehring will draw upon Susan Nelson’s paradigm to describe ways of assessing the theologies of stress and addiction. She will also reference Dr. Pargament’s criteria for life-giving spiritual orienting systems:

1. Differentiated meaning-making complex enough to bear the weight of suffering
2. Integration of one’s values, beliefs, and practices
3. Flexibility in how one spiritually copes with stress
4. Beliefs and spiritual practices related to the goodness of life/God’s goodness that foster self-compassion and compassion

10.30 am  Break

10.45 am   Small group discussions about case study assignments

11.30 pm  Plenary Sharing

12.00 – 1.00 lunch

1.00 pm  How do we help people struggling with problematic ways of experiencing pleasure, coping and substance use disorders?  Dr. Doehring will do a role play with a volunteer from the class who wants to role play someone struggling with a substance use disorder (a volunteer could draw upon James Nelson’s text to role play someone with problems similar to Nelson’s).

2.30 pm Break

2.45 pm  Group reflections on how pastoral and spiritual care is uniquely helpful.

3.45 pm  Plenary time to reflect together on what we learned about spiritual integration and care for those experiencing addictive ways of coping/experiencing pleasure

4.15 pm  Closing with a centering practice