Date/Title:    June 22, 2010: The Ethics of Spirituality

Time: 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Location:  The Council 

        1151 South Fourth Street (Parking on street, across the street lot

        or at the corner of Fourth and St. Catherine- just a hop, skip and

        a jump to the new office)

         Louisville 40203

Description:    The Ethics of Spirituality

How do agencies and their direct care workers assist clients in terms of their spiritual life?  Is it right (ethical) for direct care staff to bring clients along to church, have religious conversations with clients, pray together, study bible stories and the like?  Or should workers refrain from these activities so that they would not violate client rights or agency policies and inadvertently “impose” religious values upon the client?  These and other questions will be the focus of how direct care works are to  relate to clients and meet their self-determined choices with respect to spiritual life and care.  We will discuss how service providers that are not specifically religious in background or philosophy can still support client spiritual life choices.  We will also reflect on how direct care workers in terms of their vocation (calling) might best fulfill the policies of the service provider, meet ethical standards for client care and directly support the spiritual life goals of a client.

Presenter: Rev. Mark D. Whitsett, PhD

Pastor Mark Whitsett has been a pastor for 31 years.  For approximately fourteen of those years, he was a parish pastor doing bilingual, multicultural ministry in New York City and Long Island, New York.  He also did parish ministry an additional 14years in central Indiana.  While there he earned a PhD in intercultural studies from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Over the last ten years he has taught and done curriculum development as an Adjunct Professor for Concordia University Mequon, Wisconsin at their Indianapolis extension and most recently through their e-learning program.  Since the fall of 2007, Pastor Mark has served as the full-time Director of Pastoral Care for Cedar Lake where he is also the in house advocate (QMRP) for nine of the residents at Cedar Lake Lodge.  He is married for close to 35 years to his wife Margy, a chaplain for Norton Hospitals.  Together they have six adult children, with their youngest being challenged by learning and other disabilities.  If asked they will gladly tell you about their 3 grandchildren and the one that is one the way!

REGISTRATION: E-mail registrations are accepted by sending them to brichardson@councilonmr.org. Or call 584-1239, ext. 207 Voice mail reservations can also be made. Please leave a number that you can be reached at during the workweek incase there are changes that effect the lecture.