Just Practice

Just Practice: A Social Justice Approach to Social Work provides a foundation for critical and creative social work that integrates theory, history, ethics, skills, and rights to respond to the complex terrain of 21st century social work. Just Practice puts the field of social work's expressed commitment to social justice at center stage with a framework that builds upon five key concepts: meaning, context, power, history, and possibility. How do we give meaning to the experiences and conditions that shape our lives? What are the contexts in which those experiences and conditions occur? How do structures and relations of power shape people's lives and the practice of social work? How might a historical perspective help us to grasp the ways in which struggles over meaning and power have played out and to better appreciate the human consequences of those struggles? Taken together, these concepts provide a guide for integrative social work that bridges direct practice and community building. The text prepares readers with the theoretical knowledge and practice skills to address the complex challenges of contemporary social work from direct practice with individuals and families, to group work, organizational and community change, and policy analysis and advocacy. Each chapter includes learning activities, reflection moments, practice examples, and the stories and voices of practitioners and service users to engage students as critical thinkers and practitioners. The author encourages teachers and students alike to take risks, move from safe, familiar, pedagogical spaces and practices, challenge assumptions, and embrace uncertainty.

Just Practice: A Social Justice Approach to Social Work provides a foundation for critical and creative social work that integrates theory, history, ethics, skills, and rights to respond to the complex terrain of 21st century social work. Just Practice puts the field of social work's expressed commitment to social justice at center stage with a framework that builds upon five key concepts: meaning, context, power, history, and possibility. How do we give meaning to the experiences and conditions that shape our lives? What are the contexts in which those experiences and conditions occur? How do structures and relations of power shape people's lives and the practice of social work? How might a historical perspective help us to grasp the ways in which struggles over meaning and power have played out and to better appreciate the human consequences of those struggles? Taken together, these concepts provide a guide for integrative social work that bridges direct practice and community building. The text prepares readers with the theoretical knowledge and practice skills to address the complex challenges of contemporary social work from direct practice with individuals and families, to group work, organizational and community change, and policy analysis and advocacy. Each chapter includes learning activities, reflection moments, practice examples, and the stories and voices of practitioners and service users to engage students as critical thinkers and practitioners. The author encourages teachers and students alike to take risks, move from safe, familiar, pedagogical spaces and practices, challenge assumptions, and embrace uncertainty.

"The Just Practice Framework in Action: Contemporary Case Studies presents a collection of essays illustrating the application of the Just Practice framework in diverse contexts of social work practice. It is designed to serve as a companion reader to Just Practice: A Social Justice Approach to Social Work (Finn, 2020) and as a stand-alone text. The Just Practice framework provides a model for the integration of social justice into social work from the most intimate spaces of individual, clinical practice to macro-level policy analysis, advocacy, and community building. The contributors to this volume show how they have brought the Just Practice framework to bear to inform and transform their practice as clinicians, researchers, advocates, organizers, educators, and program directors. Their stories bring the framework to life, illustrating its potential for transformative social work practice. Their accounts offer grounded insights into challenges and possibilities of social justice-oriented social work that both strengthen and inform the Just Practice framework"--

Socially Just Practice in Groups: A Social Work Perspective comprehensively covers all aspects of group practice in social work settings, integrating a unique social justice framework throughout. Drawing from their experience as group work practitioners, authors Robert Ortega and Charles D. Garvin walk readers through the basics of group practice, including getting started, doing group work, establishing the purpose, roles and tasks of the group, stages and phases of practice, and specific skills in assessment, monitoring, and evaluation. A social justice framework provides a fresh perspective during an era of widespread social change and provides social workers tools for effective group interventions. Chapters contain detailed case examples to illustrate concepts presented, as well as exercises to help students practice skills.

The Just Practice Framework in Action presents a collection of case studies illustrating the integration of social justice into social work practice from the most intimate spaces of individual, clinical practice to macro-level advocacy and community building. The contributors to this volume offer detailed accounts of how they have brought the Just Practice framework to inform and transform their practice as clinicians, researchers, advocates, organizers, and educators. Their stories bring the framework to life, illustrating its potential for transformative social work practice. Each case illustration in this text speaks to the nuances of meaning that shape practice; social workers' navigation of complex power relations; the historical, cultural, political, organizational, and community contexts of social work; and the possibilities and constraints social workers have faced. Contributors address housing rights and homelessness, refugee resettlement, neighborhood gentrification, Indigenous rights, and immigration. They explore campus and community action around issues of food security, mental health care, disability rights, and water as a human right. Their accounts offer grounded insights into challenges and possibilities of social justice-oriented social work that both strengthen and inform the Just Practice framework.

You've heard the expression, “It’s the little things that count.” It's more than a simple platitude. Research has shown that integrating little daily practices into your life can actually change the way your brain works. This guide offers simple things you can do routinely, mainly inside your mind, that will support and increase your sense of security and worth, resilience, effectiveness, well-being, insight, and inner peace. For example, they include: taking in the good, protecting your brain, feeling safer, relaxing anxiety about imperfection, not knowing, enjoying your hands, taking refuge, and filling the hole in your heart. At first glance, you may be tempted to underestimate the power of these seemingly simple practices. But they will gradually change your brain through what’s called experience-dependent neuroplasticity. Moment to moment, whatever you're aware of—sounds, sensations, thoughts, or your most heartfelt longings—is based on underlying neural activities. This book offers simple brain training practices you can do every day to protect against stress, lift your mood, and find greater emotional resilience. Just one practice each day can help you to: • Be good to yourself • Enjoy life as it is • Build on your strengths • Be more effective at home and work • Make peace with your emotions With over fifty daily practices you can use anytime, anywhere, Just One Thing is a groundbreaking combination of mindfulness meditation and neuroscience that can help you deepen your sense of well-being and unconditional happiness.

This unique and insightful text offers an exploration of the origins and subsequent development of the concept of just sustainability. Introducing Just Sustainabilities discusses key topics, such as food justice, sovereignty and urban agriculture; community, space, place(making) and spatial justice; the democratization of our streets and public spaces; how to create culturally inclusive spaces; intercultural cities and social inclusion; green-collar jobs and the just transition; and alternative economic models, such as co-production. With a specific focus on solutions-oriented policy and planning initiatives that specifically address issues of equity and justice within the context of developing sustainable communities, this is the essential introduction to just sustainabilities.