As part of the fallout of the Iraq war, social workers may encounter Mandaean refugees. This article orients readers to this formerly isolated cultural group. After reviewing their unique history and values, practice suggestions are provided to enhance the provision of culturally competent services to this community.
Almeida, R. ( 1996) ‘Hindu, Christian and Muslim Families’, in M. McGoldrick, J. Giordano and J.K. Pearce (eds) Ethnicity and Family Therapy, pp. 395-423. New York: Guilford Press.
2.
Berkovic, N., L. al-Arian and R. Elass ( 2007) ‘Iraq’s Pacifist Sect Stuck in Refugee Limbo’ , Weekend Australian (29 December): L6.
3.
Bolender, J. ( 2005) ‘Worse Off Now than Under Saddam: The Plight of Iraq’s Mandaeans’, Weekend Edition (8/9 January).
4.
Buckley, J.J. ( 1985) ‘The Making of a Mandaean Priest: The Tarmida Initiation’ , Numen32(2): 194-217.
5.
Buckley, J.J. ( 1989) ‘Why Once Is Not Enough: Mandaean Baptism (Masbuta) as an Example of a Repeated Ritual’, History of Religions29(1): 23-34.
6.
Buckley, J.J. ( 2000) ‘The Evidence for Women Priests in Mandaeism’ , Journal of Near Eastern Studies59(2): 93-106.
7.
Buckley, J.J. ( 2005a) ‘Mandaeans’. Available online at: http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/ot_grp7/ot_mandaeans_iv_20050304.html (accessed 29 August 2008).
8.
Buckley, J.J. ( 2005b) The Great Stem of Souls: Reconstructing Mandaean History . Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press .
9.
Chow, R. and F. Yuen ( 2000) ‘From Cambodians to Bosnians: Interventions for Refugee Families Suffering from War Trauma’, Early Child Development and Care165: 95-104.
10.
Coates, J., M. Gray and T. Hetherington ( 2006) ‘An "Ecospiritual" Perspective: Finally, a Place for Indigenous Approaches’, British Journal of Social Work36: 381-99.
11.
Crawford, A. ( 2007, March 4). ‘Iraq’s Mandaeans "Face Extinction"’ . BBC News, 4 March. Available online at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6412453.stm (accessed 24 February 2010).
12.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) (2000) 4th edn, Text Revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
13.
Doron, E. ( 2005) ‘Working with Lebanese Refugees in a Community Resilience Model’, Community Development Journal40(2): 182-91.
14.
Drower, E.S. ( 1962) The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Leiden : E.J. Brill.
15.
Franzmann, M. ( 1989) ‘Living Water Mediating Element in Mandaean Myth and Ritual’, Numen36(2): 156-72.
16.
Genocide Watch ( 2008) ‘Mandaeans of Iraq’. Available online at: http://www.genocidewatch.org/news/IraqGenocideWatchMandaeansofIraq.htm (accessed 29 August 2008).
17.
German, M. and K. Ehntholt ( 2007) ‘Working with Refugee Children and Families’ , The Psychologist20(3): 152-5.
18.
Gozdziak, E.M. ( 2004) ‘Training Refugee Mental Health Providers: Ethnography as a Bridge to Multicultural Practice’, Human Organization63(2): 203-10.
19.
Grim, B. ( 2008) ‘An Exodus from Iraq’, USA Today: 11A. Available online at: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/06/an-exodus-from.html (accessed 22 February 2010).
20.
Haberl, C.G. ( 2006) ‘Iranian Scripts for Aramaic Languages: The Origin of the Mandaic Script’, Bulletin of American Schools of Oriental Research341: 53-62.
21.
Hodge, D.R. ( 2006) ‘Spiritually Modified Cognitive Therapy: A Review of the Literature’, Social Work51(2): 157-66.
22.
Hodge, D.R. ( 2007) ‘Social Justice and People of Faith: A Transnational Perspective’, Social Work52(2): 139-48.
23.
Hodge, D.R. ( 2008) ‘Constructing Spiritually Modified Interventions: Cognitive Therapy with Diverse Populations’, International Social Work51(2): 178-92.
24.
Hosin, A., S. Moore and C. Gaitanou ( 2006) ‘The Relationship between Psychological Well-being and Adjustment of Both Parents and Children of Exiled and Traumatized Iraqi Refugees’, Journal of Muslim Mental Health1: 123-36.
25.
International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) ( 2004) ‘Ethics in Social Work’. Available online at: http://www.ifsw.org/en/p38000398.html (accessed 18 November 2005).
26.
Johnson, Y.M. and S. Munch ( 2009) ‘Fundamental Contradictions in Cultural Competence’ , Social Work54(1): 220-31.
27.
Lyons, K. and P. Stathopoulos ( 2001) ‘Migration and Refugees in Europe: Greek and British Perspectives on Implications for Social Work Practice and Education’ , European Journal of Social Work4(1): 55-63.
28.
Mandaean Human Rights Group (2008) ‘Mandaean Human Rights Annual Report’. Available online at: www.aina.org/reports/mhrar200803.pdf (accessed 29 August 2008).
29.
Nash, M., J. Wong and A. Trlin ( 2006) ‘Civic and Social Integration’, International Social Work49(3): 345-63.
30.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) ( 2001) ‘Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice’. Available online at: http://www.socialworkers.org/sections/credentials/cultural_comp.asp (accessed 24 September 2003).
31.
Pell, G. ( 2006) ‘Persecution Stalks a Gentle Religious Minority’ , Sunday Telegraph (Australia): 89, 22 October. Available online at: http://iw.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_theme=aggdocs&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date:D&p_product=AWNB&p_docid=114E92ADB8165E30&p_text_direct-0=document_id=(%20114E92ADB8165E30%20)&p_multi=ATLB&s_lang=en-US&p_nbid=R64O4FVMMTI2Njk0ODMyMS4xMDIzMDY6MToxMToxMjkuMjE5LjAuMA (accessed 23 February 2010).
32.
Refugees International (2008) ‘The Iraqi Displacement Crisis’. Available online at: http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9679 (accessed 31 August 2008).
33.
Richards, P.S. and A.E. Bergin, eds (2000) Handbook of Psychotherapy and Religious Diversity. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
34.
Richards, P.S. and A.E. Bergin ( 2005) A Spiritual Strategy for Counseling and Psychotherapy , 2nd edn. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
35.
Rudolph, K. ( 1978) Mandaeism. Leiden: E.J. Brill.
36.
Saed, H. ( 2004) ‘Christian and Mandaean Perspectives on Baptism’ , Journal of Eastern Christian Studies56(1): 319-47.
37.
Schulz, P.M., L.C. Huber and P.A. Resick ( 2006) ‘Practical Applications of Cognitive Processing Theory with Bosnian Refugees: Implications for Adapting Practice to a Multicultural Clientele’, Cognitive and Behavioral Practice13(4): 310-21.
38.
Smith, T.B., J. Bartz and P.S. Richards ( 2007) ‘Outcomes of Religious and Spiritual Adaptions to Psychotherapy: A Meta-analytic Review’, Psychotherapy Research17(6): 643-55.
39.
Sourander, A. ( 2003) ‘Refugee Families during Asylum Seeking’, Nordic Journal of Psychiatry57: 203-7.
40.
Steel, Z., D. Silove, R. Brooks, S. Momartin, B. Alzuhairi and I. Susljik ( 2006) ‘Impact of Immigration Detention and Temporary Protection on the Mental Health of Refugees’, British Journal of Psychiatry188(1): 58-64.
41.
Stoltzfus, K.M. ( 2008) ‘Spiritual Interventions in Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention: A Review of the Literature’, Journal of Religion and Spirituality: Social Thought26(4): 49-69.
42.
Sue, D. and D. Sue ( 2008) Counseling the Culturally Diverse: Theory and Practice , 5th edn. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
43.
Thaler, K. ( 2007) ‘Iraqi Minority Group Needs U.S. Attention’ , Yale Daily News, 9 March. Available online at: http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/20341 (accessed 22 February 2010).
44.
Trujillo, A. ( 2000) ‘Psychotherapy with Native Americans: A View into the Role of Religion and Spirituality’, in R.P. Scott and A.E. Bergin (eds) Handbook of Psychotherapy and Religious Diversity, pp. 445-66. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
45.
Van Hook, M., B. Hugen and M.A. Aguilar, eds (2001) Spirituality within Religious Traditions in Social Work Practice. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole .
46.
Watt, C. ( 2008) ‘John the Baptist’s People Flounder in Iraq’ , The Globe and Mail (Canada) (14 May): A3, 14.
47.
Weinberger, E. ( 2007) ‘Mandaeans’, Harper’s Magazine314(1884): 77-9.
48.
Weine, S., Y. Kulauzovic, K. Knafl, S. Besic, A. Klebic, A. Mujagic, J. Muzurovic, D. Spahovic and I. Pavkovic ( 2006) ‘A Family Beliefs Framework for Socially and Culturally Specific Preventative Interventions with Refugee Youths and Families’ , American Journal of Orthopsychiatry76(1): 1-9.
49.
Whelan, J., M. Swallow, P. Peschar and A. Dunne ( 2002) ‘From Counseling to Community Work: Developing a Framework for Social Work Practice with Displaced Persons’, Australian Social Work55(1): 13-23.
50.
Whitelaw, K. ( 2003) ‘Baghdad’s Baptizers’, U.S. News and World Report134(20): 32-5.
51.
Wolf, M. ( 1978) ‘Social Validity: The Case for Subjective Measurement’ , Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis11(2): 203-14.
52.
Zavis, A. ( 2008) ‘Iraq Being Drained of Gold Artisans’, Los Angeles Times: A6. Available online at: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jun/15/world/fg-gold15 (accessed 22 February 2010).
