About the Conference Proceedings Series
Conference Theme
Integrating Religion, Spirituality and Wellbeing: Exploring New Frontiers in Social Work Practice in India
The XLII Annual National Conference on “Innovative Approaches in Social Work Education and Practice: Evidences From Different Fields of Social Work in India”, on May 24-25, 2025. This conference, organised in virtual mode, is expected to provide a standard academic platform for researchers to present their findings and develop effective strategies to collaborate and develop the spirit of sharing wisdom from the grassroots.
The conference would provide an opportunity for professionals, especially social work professionals working in various fields, to deliberate on their views and strategies to overcome the challenges in various segments of society.
We feel immense pleasure to welcome you to this academic feast. Eagerly waiting to welcome you in May 2025 on a virtual platform.
We welcome proposals for Symposia, Workshops, and Research Papers (oral/posters), focusing on the theme of “Integrating Religion, Spirituality and Wellbeing: Exploring New Frontiers in Social Work Practice in India” and the following subthemes.
Subthemes:
- Spiritual Counselling and Psychotherapy for Individual Healing: Collaborating with mental health
professionals, psychologists, and counsellors to provide faith-based support for emotional well-being. - Religious and Spiritual Interventions in Palliative Care: Engaging medical social workers, hospice
care providers, and chaplains to offer comfort and support to terminally ill patients. - Faith-Based Peer Support Networks for Substance Abuse Recovery: Involving addiction counsellors,
rehabilitation specialists, and spiritual mentors to aid in recovery journeys. - Support Groups for Victims of Domestic Violence Through Religious Healing Practices: Working with social workers, legal advisors, and religious leaders to foster emotional resilience and empowerment.
- Mobilizing Faith-Based Organisations for Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy: Partnering with community psychologists, health educators, and religious institutions to combat stigma and promote mental well-being.
- Interfaith Collaboration for Poverty Alleviation and Social Justice: Coordinating with NGOs, social activists, and religious leaders to address issues like homelessness, unemployment, and food security.
- Advocating for Religious and Cultural Rights in Social Policy: Collaborating with human rights activists, policymakers, and legal advisors to promote religious freedom and anti-discrimination laws.
- Promoting Environmental Sustainability Through Spiritual Values: Engaging environmentalists, community leaders, and religious institutions to foster eco-friendly practices and social responsibility.
- Developing Culturally and Spiritually Sensitive Social Services: Working with healthcare administrators, welfare officers, and faith-based organisations to design inclusive policies and programs.
- Capacity Building for Faith Leaders in Crisis Management and Mental Health Support: Training religious leaders, counsellors, and social workers to handle trauma, loss, and mental health crises.
- Assessing the Role of Spirituality in Mental Health Recovery and Coping Mechanisms: Collaborating with researchers, clinical psychologists, and sociologists to study the impact of spiritual practices.
- Exploring Ethical Dilemmas in Faith-Based Social Work Practice: Engaging ethicists, philosophers, and legal experts to navigate professional boundaries and cultural sensitivity.
- Intersectionality of Religion, Caste, and Gender in Social Work Practice: Working with gender rights activists, community organisers, and legal experts to address discrimination and inequality.
- Holistic Health and Well-Being Through Integrative Medicine and Spiritual Healing: Partnering with psychiatrists, yoga therapists, and alternative medicine practitioners.
- Strengthening Social Capital Through Religious Networks and Spiritual Support Systems: Involving sociologists, anthropologists, and community planners.
The Organizers
Indian Society of Professional Social Work
Indian Society of Professional Social Work (ISPSW) aims towards meeting the challenges of present-day social work practice and creating a platform for information exchange among fellow professionals. The Society was formally known as the Indian Society of Psychiatric Social Work, which was established in the year 1970 by Dr. R.K. Upadhyaya, Dr. A.N. Verma and his colleagues of the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. The nomenclature of the Society was changed in ANC of ISPSW (Dec.1988) at Kolkata, because of an increased representation of educators, practitioners and researchers from all streams of social work in the Society.
The Society primarily focuses on uniting professional social workers to discuss, deliberate and develop conceptual frameworks and feasible indigenous interventions in Social work practice. In order to facilitate this cause, the Society has so far conducted XLII (42) Annual National Conferences along with workshops, seminars and symposia on various issues all over India. The ISPSW welcomes you to become a part of this movement.
ISPSW Office Bearers
President:
Prof. Kanagaraj Easwaran (Aizawl, Mizorum)
Vice-Presidents:
Dr. Sarbari Sen (Kolkata, West Bengal)
Dr. Shantna Kumari (Ranchi, Jharkhand)
Hon. General Secretary:
Dr. Bhupendra Singh (Rohtak, Haryana)
Joint Secretaries:
Dr. Narendra K. Singh (Ranchi, Jharkhand)
Dr. Praful P. Kapse (Pune, Maharashtra)
Treasurer:
Dr. Prashant Srivastava (Ranchi, Jharkhand)
Ex officio:
Mr. Ravi Kishan Jha (Delhi)
Dr. Kamlesh Kumar Sahu (Chandigarh)
Executive Committee Member
Dr. Dilip Kumar (Bhojpur, Bihar)
Dr. Shrikant Pawar (Pune, Maharashtra)
Mr. Saurav Kumar (Azamgarh, UP)
Mr. Kuldeep Singh (Karnal, Haryana)
Dr. Sapna Kumari (Gwalior, MP)
Mr. Nishant Kumar (Gaya, Bihar)
Mr. Raja Upadhyay (Kaimur, Bihar)
Dr. Mool Raj (Bhiwani, Haryana)
Dr. Rishi Panday (Delhi)
Dr Malti Kumari (Ranchi, Jharkhand)
