Community Social Work Practice In An Urban Context

Community social work practice based on a capacity enhancement model offers tremendous potential for unifying communities consisting of groups from very different cultural backgrounds, and in the process of doing so, make physical changes in the community. Community Social Work Practice in An Urban Context aims to teach graduate students with an emphasis on community and urban social work how to create positive community environments in marginalized urban-based communities. The use of murals, gardens, playgrounds, and sculptures, for example provide social workers with an opportunity to identify, engage, and plan services with communities. These projects, in turn, are based upon a community's strengths and represent an effort at developing a community's capacity to help itself with assistance from professionals.

The experiences of African Americans in urban communities are distinct from those of other ethnic groups, and to be truly understood require an in-depth appreciation of the interface between micro- and macro-level factors. This sweeping text, an outgrowth of a groundbreaking urban social work curriculum, focuses exclusively on the African-American experience through field education, community engagement, and practice. It presents a framework for urban social work practice that encompasses a deep understanding of the challenges faced by this community. From a perspective based on empowerment, strengths, and resilience; cultural competence; and multi-culturalism; the book delivers proven strategies for social work practice with the urban African-American population. It facilities the development of creative thinking skills and the ability to ìmeet people where they are,î skills that are often necessary for true transformation to take root. The book describes an overarching framework for understanding and practicing urban social work, including definitions and theories that have critical implications for working with people in such communities. It encompasses the contributions of African American pioneers regarding a response to such challenges as poverty, oppression, and racism. Focusing on the theory, practice, and policy aspects of urban social work, the book examines specific subsets of the urban African-American population including children, adults, families and older adults. It addresses the challenges of urban social work in relation to public health, health, and mental health; substance abuse; criminal justice; and violence prevention. Additionally, the book discusses how to navigate the urban built environment and the intersection between African Americans and other diverse groups. Chapters include outcome measures of effectiveness, case studies, review questions, suggested activities, and supplemental readings. Key Features: Fills a void in the literature on urban social work practice with African Americans Presents the outgrowth of a renowned urban curriculum, field education, research, community engagement, and practice Fulfills the requirements of the CSWE in the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards regarding diversity Synthesizes micro, mezzo, and macro content in each chapter Provides contributions from African-American pioneers in urban social work practice

The author suggests that many communities can be best served through their own, already-established recreational, social, and cultural centres, and shows how professional social workers can use these non-traditional settings - bars, beauty shops, and bathhouses - to reach out to the communities they are trying to help.

Make sure your practice skills are up-to-date with the changes brought on by managed care As a result of escalating costs, the focus of health care in the United States has shifted from inpatient, hospital-based care to outpatient care in the community. Social Work Practice in Community-Based Health Care is a comprehensive guide to the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective and efficient practice within a managed-care context that’s focused on a diversified, aging consumer population and high-risk health conditions. This unique book examines the essential elements of community health practice, including logic modeling for planning and evaluation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the use of technology and telemedicine in social work practice. Social Work Practice in Community-Based Health Care presents practical information for social workers in the wake of the insertion of managed care as a “third party” to the relationship between physicians and their patients, and advances in medical care that are transforming previously acute and life-threatening illnesses to chronic conditions. The book offers a critical analysis of available research and model service delivery innovations, applying evidence-based practice to case studies in a style that’s easily accessible to practitioners, administrators, supervisors, and social work students. The book also includes glossaries at the end of each chapter and appendices that analyze online resources and address cultural background assessment questions. Topics discussed in Social Work Practice in Community-Based Health Care include: the revolution in funding and delivery evolving trends and healthcare needs of the consumer population a conceptual framework for culturally competent practice the nature of social work in ambulatory health a brief history of healthcare social work emerging practice settings the use of new communication technologies in practice methods for evaluating direct practice ethical considerations current community-based programs for culturally diverse and at-risk populations and much more Social Work Practice in Community-Based Health Care is an important resource for social work practitioners, academics, and students.

This book demonstrates the potential of after-school activities ranging from from sports to the visual and performing arts and the humanities to transform young lives. Case studies of exemplary organizations and innovative communities within urban centers throughout the U.S. round out the work.

This book demonstrates the potential of after-school activities ranging from from sports to the visual and performing arts and the humanities to transform young lives. Case studies of exemplary organizations and innovative communities within urban centers throughout the U.S. round out the work.

How important is the notion of community to skilled social work? This book explores how the concept relates to policy, theory and professional practice. With analysis of contemporary social problems throughout a variety of community settings, this book demonstrates how important community-based approaches are to all social workers today.

Urban Social Work: An Introduction to Policy and Practice in the Cities introduces students to the profession of social work as it is practiced in the cities. The book utilizes a social systems perspective and helps students to recognize the linkages between social welfare policy and social work practice within the context of urban social problems. Systems theory is important because it stresses direct practice, the role of the agency and social action. The text includes chapters on the cities and the urban origins of social work; the functions and structure of social work organizations; social work values and ethics; social work skills and diversity in social work. Already class-tested, this comprehensive book can be used in an introductory social work course or as a supplementary text for practice and policy courses at the BSW or MSW level.

Encompassing community development, organizing, planning, & social change, as well as globalisation, this book is grounded in participatory & empowerment practice. The 36 chapters assess practice, theory & research methods.

This contributed volume offers a holistic understanding of social work practice in deprived communities through its thematization of understanding deprived communities globally, the development of competencies for social work practice in and with deprived communities, social work education as a community development tool, and the empowerment of social workers in deprived communities. Inequality as a globally recognized challenge is extensively elaborated within the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Agenda program for social work, making this a timely and important contribution to the literature. Deprived communities, used in this book to mean slums, ghettos, favelas, and low-income, remote, underserved, vulnerable, impoverished, underdeveloped, disadvantaged, or less-favoured communities, exist worldwide and are conceptualized under different terms and concepts. For that reason, social work, specifically in deprived areas, is not sufficiently recognized as a specific field of practice within community work. As a result, this volume features contributions that: provide a conceptual clarification of many different terms that are used for describing deprived communities and offer a systematic literature review on community processes and effects on well-being in underdeveloped communities; map different fields of social work involvement in deprived communities with concrete practice examples; and, stress why social work as a profession needs support and how it can be empowered to improve its capacities in deprived communities. With international authorship and perspectives on social work approaches for deprived communities from India, Sub-Saharan Africa, North and Central Europe, and North America, Practicing Social Work in Deprived Communities is an essential resource for social workers, social work educators, and community development practitioners. The text also should be of interest to students of social work, as well as other professionals and researchers working within community development and deprived communities.