Not everybody has the perseverance to earn a doctorate degree — that’s why it’s so impressive to meet someone who has the desire and has put in the hard work to achieve it. In mid-June, Dungarvin Indiana Area Manager Rodney Spencer joined this elite group, when he received his Ph.D. in Theology with a focus in marriage and family counseling from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Rodney adds this accomplishment to his Master’s in Social Work (MSW), as well as becoming an ordained minister and Senior Pastor at his church. He says he fell in love with social work when he was just 9 years old and a fall from a tree in his grandparents’ yard sent him to the ER.
“While I was at the hospital, they asked my mom to step out of the exam room. A lady walked in and started asking me a lot of questions. After she left, I asked who she was and my mom said, ‘She was a social worker and she was making sure I didn’t do anything to hurt you.’ From that day on, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
And he did! Rodney worked for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for more than 28 years. He retired in 2020, but not for long. Restless, he was itching to get back to work and joined Dungarvin in 2021. A couple of years later, he decided to pursue a doctorate.
“It was something I wanted to do for me, for no other purpose than to satisfy a personal goal of my own, and prove to myself that I could do it,” he said.
Rodney's grandchildren inspect his cap and gown.
His dissertation focused on the holistic approach of mental health therapy in the African American community. Rodney explained that he wanted to concentrate on this topic because he has observed there is a stigma around therapy in many Black communities, especially among very religious people, he said. It’s a fascinating topic to him, being a minister who also works for an organization that offers mental health services.
“I did a qualitative study and sent out surveys to people in different religious organizations to learn their views about therapy,” Rodney said. “The results showed a high number of people who actually believe therapy is taboo. Many believe prayer is what people need instead, and they didn’t seem to fully understand the mental health aspect.”
However, he was pleased to see returned surveys from respondents who admitted to knowing little about mental health and therapy, but would like to learn more. “So, that was a wonderful thing.”
Rodney’s MSW prepared him well to work with individuals and families Dungarvin serves. The doctorate enhances that knowledge, he said, and helps him approach people who are skeptical about mental health counseling. It also supports his work as a minister.
“I do a lot of seminars and some deal with mental illness. This has changed my approach and delivery of information. I’ve learned to better explain that mental health therapy can align with one’s religious beliefs, and that because someone suffers with mental illness, it does not negate their religious belief system.”
Rodney works for Dungarvin primarily on weekdays, while his ministry work typically takes place on weekends and evenings. He enjoys the combination and says he finds his work as an Area Manager very rewarding.
“What really makes the work meaningful is when I start seeing a change in the behavior of those individuals we serve. I’ve had individuals graduate from high school, though they never thought they could. Or to see someone transition from a group home to live somewhat on their own. These things are meaningful and really push me to keep doing what I do.”
If you or someone you know is interested in learning how you can receive support from Dungarvin in Indiana or another state, please visit us at www.Dungarvin.com.