Cultural considerations for social service agencies working with Muslim clients

Social service agencies and practitioners are continually challenged to provide services that are effective for, and reflective of, cultural and religious diversity. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 social work practitioners in four Canadian cities to gain insight into methods of practice that are culturally sensitive for work with Muslim clients. No hard-and-fast rules are identified, but the findings point to some cultural values and issues to consider (in particular the roles of faith and spirituality, community, family, gender, and perceptions of service seeking) and ways that agencies can be responsive to the cultural needs of Muslim clients (in particular by understanding pathways to care, explaining cultural difference, and providing culturally sensitive services). Implications for agencies providing services and future research directions are discussed.