GRANTHAM, Pa. (April 7, 2006) — The School of Social Science at Messiah College and Philhaven Behavioral Healthcare Services will present the conference, “Ethical Decision-Making in the Helping Professions: Spirituality in Educational and Practice Settings,” on April 28 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in Hostetter Chapel, located on the college’s Grantham campus. The conference is open to the public and costs $25; students can attend for $10. For more information, contact Tonya Baker at (717) 796-1800, ext. 7050.

The conference will provide a forum in which participants can learn about the ethical issues surrounding the incorporation of faith and spirituality in therapy and education. The first speaker, Margaret Spearmon, will present a lecture titled “Addressing Ethical Issues Presented to Educators Who Educate From a Christian Worldview.” Spearmon, associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Social Administration at Temple University, received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington. Previously Spearmon was a member of the social work faculty at the University of Washington and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has extensive experience in administration in public and private human services organizations as well as in higher education. Spearmon’s scholarship focuses on multiculturalism, cultural competency and development.

Ronald Vogt will then present a lecture titled “Addressing Ethical Issues Presented to Clinicians Who Practice From a Faith Perspective.” Vogt has over 20 years of experience as a psychotherapist. He began his training in pastoral counseling and graduated from both the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif. and the University of Southern California’s School of Educational and Counseling Psychology. He directed Recovery of Hope’s Intensive Week program, served on the faculty of Azusa Pacific University in the School of Marriage and Family Therapy and at Temple University in the social work program. He also works as a consultant and trainer in leadership development at New Life Fellowship in Queens, N.Y. Vogt specializes in marital therapy, grief and trauma therapy, personality disorders and integration of spiritual, emotional and personal growth in the context of relationships.

The workshop will conclude with a panel discussion, “Addressing Tensions Between the Christian Faith and the Helping Professions in an Ethical Manner.” The panelists include Katie Binder, a Messiah College graduate working as a case manager for Diakon Lutheran Services’ TresslerCare AfterCare and Prevention Program; Peter Fidgett, a social worker and adventure facilitator for the Capital Area Intermediate Unit; Robert L. Hewitt, a full professor of social work and field practicum coordinator for the Department of Social Work and Gerontology at Shippensburg University; Michael J. Kinney, director of Philaven’s Harrisburg office; and Phillip J. Lawlis, a clinical psychologist who has served as director of counseling and health services at Messiah College since 1980.

Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,900 undergraduate students in 50 majors. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.