Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice, The (4th Edition)

The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practicepresents an unrivaled collection of essays that explain the strengths-based philosophy, demonstrate how it works, and provide clear and practical tools for its application.

This fourth edition includes six new chapters, including subjects such as: how to shift one’s frame of mind to practice from a strengths perspective; using slave narratives of strength and resistance as guides and inspiration in the fight to end poverty; understanding and promoting the resilience of families; how to solve problems using a strengths perspective; using a strengths approach in working with substance abuse problems; and a new look at the relationships between individual strengths and environmental resources.

In addition, many other chapters have been significantly updated with new concepts and ideas, new references, new case vignettes, and new inquiry. The study questions have been revised to reflect the changing knowledge in the field. This is possibly the most extensive and varied text in the rapidly expanding field of strengths literature.

The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice presents an unrivaled collection of essays that explain the strengths-based philosophy, demonstrate how it works, and provide clear and practical tools for its application. It presents a balanced approach to social work practice, in contrast to a problems-based approach, that takes into account the strengths and assets of clients and their environments.

Highlights of the Fourth Edition

Six New Chapters

• “Shifting our Habits of Mind: Learning to Practice from a Strengths Perspective” (Chapter 2) examines how social work practice was historically a more problem-focused profession and the how the current shift towards strengths plays an important part in our work.
• “Solving Problems from a Strengths Perspective” explores, with relevant examples, how a practitioner can take a perspective on problems that leads to strengths-based and solution-focused practices.
• “Strengths-Based Case Management: Enhancing Work with Persons with Substance Abuse Problems” (Chapter 8) explores the further extensions of and developments in this important and ground-breaking work.
• “The Resilience of Families” (Chapter11) examines those factors that promote family resilience and how they can be applied in practice.
• “Consciousness and Commitment: Slave Narratives in Today’s Movement to End Poverty” (Chapter12) applies the lessons of the resistance movements of slaves in order to develop effective and strengths-based strategies for ending poverty.
• “Honoring Philosophical Traditions: The Strengths Model and the Social Environment” (Chapter 14) presents the strongest and clearest relationship between environmental resources and individual strengths in practicing from the strengths perspective.
• Extensive revisions of existing chapters make this a fresh, more up-to-date book that retains the passion and sensibilities of the previous editions but with innovative examples and revised, more current bibliographies.

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Social Work Skills Demonstrated: Beginning Direct Practice CD-ROM with Student Manual, Second Edition
Linda K. Cummins, Barry University
Judith A. Sevel, Illinois State University
Laura Pedrick, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

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