Originally published in 1980, The Life Model of Social Work
Practice was the first textbook to introduce the ecological
perspective into social work practice. This fourth edition brings
the text up ...to date by expanding and deepening this perspective.
Integrating contemporary theory and research findings with numerous
case illustrations drawn from a wide range of practice contexts,
this textbook provides students with an invaluable introduction to
the real world of social work practice and includes knowledge,
methods, and skills for advanced practice. The authors detail the
theoretical foundation of the ecological perspective and the life
model's emphasis on evidence- and ethics-guided practice,
culturally competent and diversity-sensitive practice, and the
multiple sources of accountability that social workers face. The
text features an extensive discussion of the principles of
trauma-informed practice and their implications for social work
practice. Its discussion of cultural competence and sensitivity to
diversity incorporates contemporary concepts such as cultural
humility and privilege, intersectionality, and critical race theory
and presents their application to practice. The authors integrate
current research throughout the text and provide numerous research
applications to underscore and model the importance of
evidence-guided practice. The fourth edition reflects the National
Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and the Council on
Social Work Education's most recent set of competency standards,
which accredit social work schools and programs. It is accompanied
by a teachers guide that provides chapter summaries, recommended
teaching methods and skills, questions for discussion, and
suggested assignments and identifies where in the text the nine
EPAS competencies and their associated practice behaviors are
addressed.
"Mental Health and Social Problems" is a textbook for social work students and practitioners. It explores the complicated relationship between mental conditions and societal issues as well as ...examining risk and protective factors for the prevalence, course, adaptation to and recovery from mental illness. The introductory chapter presents bio-psycho-social and life-modeled approaches to helping individuals and families with mental illness. The book is divided into two parts. Part I addresses specific social problems, such as poverty, oppression, racism, war, violence, and homelessness, identifying the factors which contribute to vulnerabilities and risks for the development of mental health problems, including the barriers to accessing quality services. Part II presents the most current empirical findings and practice knowledge about prevalence, diagnosis, assessment, and intervention options for a range of common mental health problems -- including personality conditions, eating conditions and affective conditions. Focusing throughout upon mental health issues for children, adolescents, adults and older adults, each chapter includes case studies and web resources. This practical book is ideal for social work students who specialize in mental health. Contents include: (1) Introduction to Social Problems and Mental Health/Illness (Nina Rovinelli Heller and Alex Gitterman); Part I: Social Problems and Mental Health/Illness: (2) Oppression and Stigma and their Effects (Amy C. Watson and Shaun M. Eack); (3) Poverty and its Effects (Mark R. Rank); (4) Racism and its Effects (Dennis Miehls); (5) War and its Effects (Scott Harding); (6) Homelessness and its Effects (Judith Bula Wise); (7) Corrections and its Effects (Rudolph Alexander, Jr.); (8) Immigration and its Effects (Gregory Acevedo and Manny J. Gonzales); (9) Child Maltreatment and its Effects (Carolyn Knight); (10) Intimate Partner Violence and its Effects (Bonnie E. Carlson); (11) Community Violence and its Effects (Vanessa Vorhies, Neil B. Guterman and Muhammad M. Haj-Yahia); Part II: Mental Health Conditions: (12) Autism Spectrum Conditions (Joseph Walsh and Jacqueline Corcoran) (13) Executive Function Disorders and Self Deficits (Joseph Palombo); (14) Oppositional Defiant and Conduct Conditions (David W. Springer and Amanda N. Barczyk); (15) Mood Conditions (Ellen Smith); (16) Anxiety Conditions (Nina Rovinelli Heller and Lisa Werkmeister Rozas); (17) Eating Disorder Conditions (Danna Bodenheimer and Nina Rovinelli Heller); (18) Personality Conditions (Terry B. Northcut) (19) Psychotic Conditions (Ellen P. Lukens and Lydia P. Ogden); (20) Substance Abuse (Meredith Hanson); and (21) Dementia and Related Problems in Cognition and Memory (Sara Sanders and Joelle K. Osterhaus).
Micro social work practice can be understood in the context of its historical professional traditions and dialectics as well as the environmental pressures and demands placed on the profession. In ...becoming a profession, social work relied heavily on principles drawn from medicine and science. Although these bodies of knowledge provided the profession certain credibility, their application may have clouded social work's distinctive social purpose and professional identity. In its search for a distinctive function and identity, the profession of social work has struggled with numerous dialectics, as discussed in this article. These help us to better understand the profession's search for its distinctive identity and status and the importance of including this content in social work education.
Ambiguous grief results from a nondeath loss and has received minimal attention in the social work literature. This type of loss occurs in situations like missing persons, incarceration, military ...deployment, adoption, and foster care and chronic conditions like dementia. The reactions of loved ones faced with these situations rarely have been understood as a form of grief. The lack of recognition of ambiguous loss means that it is more likely to be disenfranchised, which undermines bereaved individuals’ resilience and ability to move on with their lives. The authors discuss the nature of ambiguous loss and its disenfranchisement. Based upon theory and research, implications for micro-, mezzo-, and macropractice are presented. Case examples illustrate key points and challenges.
Grieving for the non-death losses of one’s place and all that is familiar and the loss of precious time and the associated opportunities go largely unnoticed in society as well as in the profession’s ...literature and practice. Too often, people are left on their own to grieve and suffer from these types of non-death losses. In this article, the authors attempt to broaden the conception of grief by discussing and illustrating two types of more ambiguous non-death losses (Boss, J Fam Theory Rev, 8:269–286,
2016
). Each of these types of non-death losses is examined from a theoretical, empirical and clinical perspective.
Clinical or micro intervention predominates in social work education and practice. The prevailing assumption in social work practice and education is that one engages in either micro or macro ...intervention. In this article, we describe how these interventions may be merged into an integrated whole through social work practice with groups. The conceptual and evidence base of community work is summarized, as are efforts to identify practice skills that overlap both approaches. We assert that group work is ideally suited to promote individual empowerment and community change. Case examples illustrate the relative ease with which tasks and skills of group work at the micro level can be used in group work practice in the community. Implications for social work education are discussed.
Contemporary emphasis on measuring and evaluating observable, behavioral outcomes reflects a major change in the profession toward greater empirical basis for social work practice. This intellectual ...and methodological shift has created a gap between practitioners and researchers. While social work practitioners definitely should be more knowledgeable and receptive to interventions that have proven to be effective in helping people, social work academics must pay more attention to the realities of social work practitioners who struggle daily with expanding caseloads, ever-increasing time pressures to help clients whose lives are embedded in poverty, unemployment, oppression, racism, homelessness, and violence.
Social work educators and practitioners have had an ongoing debate whether the profession is primarily a science or an art. The pendulum has swung back and forth, with the current tilt toward ...scientific explanations and formulations. Evidence-based practice is the most symbolic manifestation of this tilt. The authors propose an alternative approach to practice that integrates, rather than separates, the art and science traditions. Evidence-guided practice incorporates research findings, theoretical constructs, and a repertoire of professional competencies and skills consistent with the profession's values and ethics and the individual social worker's distinctive style. Major assumptions, as well as challenges, associated with the model are identified. A case example illustrates major concepts of the model.
Curriculum and psychoeducational groups have become increasingly popular because of their strong evidence base and presumed ease of implementation. The curriculum provides a valuable guide to social ...workers leading groups as they decide on topics for discussion. Typically, the literature emphasizes the content—the material being presented—over the process: the ways in which members interact with one another and with the leader. The authors of this article contend that when the social worker adheres too rigidly to the content, members' ability to make meaning of and internalize the information being presented is compromised. They advocate for an approach to group facilitation that emphasizes flexible presentation of curriculum topics. The benefits of group participation are maximized when collaborative learning, which involves members' interactions with one another and the leader, is encouraged. The article includes a summary of the theoretical foundation and evidence base of psychoeducational and curriculum groups and presents strategies to promote collaborative learning using case examples.
The contributors to this volume examine the role of mutual aid groups and social workers in helping members of oppressed, vulnerable, and resilient populations regain control over their lives. The ...chapters reveal the ways in which mutual aid processes help individuals overcome social and emotional trauma in contemporary society by reducing isolation, universalizing individual problems, and mitigating stigma. Using the life cycle as a framework the editors establish a theoretical model for practice and demonstrate how social workers as group leaders can foster the healing and empowering process of mutual aid. The contributors also consider the fundamentals of the mutual aid process, the institutional benefits of group service, and specific clinical examples of mutual aid groups. Each chapter offers detailed case materials that illustrate both group work skills and developmental issues for a variety of populations and settings, including HIV-positive and AIDS patients, the homeless, and perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse and family violence.
New chapters in this completely revised and updated third edition illustrate the power of mutual aid processes in dealing with children traumatized by the events of September 11, adult survivors of sexual abuse, parents with developmentally challenged children, people with AIDS in substance recovery, and mentally ill older adults.
