Rural Regional And Remote Social Work

This book gives voice to the direct practice experience of social workers working in rural and remote contexts using Australia as the primary case-study. The authors undertake a qualitative research project, conducting in-depth interviews to examine social work theory and practice against the reality of rural and remote contexts. Practice examples provide the reader with an insight into the diverse and complex nature of social work in rural and remote Australia and the role of contemporary social work. Through placing rural and remote social work in its historical, theoretical and geographical contexts, this work explores a range of considerations. These include isolation; ethical dilemmas when working with small and closely linked communities; climate, disaster relief and the environment; community identity and culture; working with indigenous communities in remote contexts; and social work education. Based on direct practice research, this book challenges existing theories of practice and reframes those to reflect the reality of practice in rural and remote communities. As social work must continue to critically reflect on its role within an ever changing and individualistic society, lessons from rural and remote settings around engagement, sense of place and skillful, innovative practice have never been more relevant.

Social work practice in a country town or small remote community several hours' drive from the nearest centre is very different from practice in the city. Social Work in Rural Australia offers an introduction to the challenges and rewards of professional practice in rural and remote areas. The authors explore the practical implications for social workers in non-urban regions, including teamwork with professionals from other fields, working with various sub-groups in communities and across distance with other social work colleagues, the diversity of rural livelihoods and lifestyles, and increasingly pressing environmental issues. Social work theories and case studies demonstrate how enabling practice can promote clients' and communities' ability to deal with some of the challenges of housing, youth unemployment, child protection, ageing, mental health, disability and the obstacles faced by Indigenous, migrant and refugee populations, in specific geographical settings. Social Work in Rural Australia encourages students and practitioners towards a holistic and contextual engagement with rural communities in current and newly developing fields of social work practice. 'This accessible text integrates the theory and practice of social work in often overlooked rural and remote regions. The case studies offer students and practitioners practical insights and celebrate rural practice as both unique and enriching.' - Alana Johnson, 2010 Victorian Winner RIRDC Rural Women's Award, Family Therapist and Social Worker

The gist of Collier’s genuinely radical book is that for the rural social worker to be effective, she must be able to identify with the struggles of the people she is trying to help — that trying to maintain “professional”, “objective” distance will merely ensure that the social worker becomes part of the problem rather than part of the solution. For the social worker in a smaller community, “Whose side are you on?” is the most important question to be answered before any effective work can be done. It is an indictment of the slow pace of progress against the societal problems facing rural populations that a third edition of Social Work With Rural Peoples is necessary.

This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of social work supervision internationally and presents an analytical review of social work supervision theory, practice, and research. Presented in seven parts: International perspectives Supervision settings Roles, responsibilities, and relationships Models and approaches The interactional process Leading and managing supervision Emerging areas The book examines how supervision contributes to the well-being, development, and practice of social workers. It also sets the agenda for the future development of social work supervision internationally. Social work supervision is examined across countries, practice settings, and in terms of participants' roles, relationships, and responsibilities. Contributors show how and why social work supervision is integral to social work and the rich diversity of ways supervision can be practiced. Bringing together an international team of social work supervision scholars, researchers, supervisors, and practitioners, this handbook is essential reading for social workers, supervisors, managers, policy advisors, and professional leaders.

Health services practice or working with clients facing health issues requires diverse approaches and wide-ranging knowledge. In this fully revised and expanded second edition, Melissa Petrakis draws on the experience and expertise of leading researchers and practitioners to provide a guide to the disparate settings in which social workers are engaged and the conceptual frameworks and skills needed for effective practice. Including new chapters on compassion in healthcare, neoliberalism and health, social justice, suicidal distress, and health social work in regional, rural and remote settings, the book begins by examining the nature of health social work and considers its core values and principles. Part I also provides an overview of the social determinants of health. Part II explores key areas of practice including trauma-informed practice, mental health, aged care, dual diagnosis and working with people living with disability. Part III looks at politicised issues, reform agendas in the field including indigenous approaches to health, refugee health, and concludes by considering how a focus on well-being informed by Maori approaches could provide new insights into better practice. Underpinning the book throughout is a clear guide to assessment procedures, case management, strengths-based practices and developing effective partnerships and collaboration. All this makes Social Work Practice in Health a key reference tool for social work students and practitioners.

A thoughtful text integrating strengths, assets, and capacity-building themes with contemporary issues in rural social work practice Now in its second edition, Rural Social Work is a collection of contributed readings from social work scholars, students, and practitioners presenting a framework for resource building based on the strengths, assets, and capacities of people, a tool essential for working with rural communities. This guide considers methods for social workers to participate in the work of sustaining rural communities. Each chapter features a reading integrating the themes of capacity-building and rural social work; discussion questions that facilitate critical thinking around the chapter; and suggested activities and assignments. Rural Social Work, Second Edition explores: Important practice issues in rural communities, including the challenges of working with stigmatized populations such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, the homeless, and people living with HIV/AIDS Practice models that hold special promise for rural social workers, including evidence-based practice and community partnership models Newer research tools such as asset mapping, social network analysis, concept mapping, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Exploring how social workers can integrate the tremendous resources that exist in rural communities into their practice, Rural Social Work, Second Edition provides a solid introduction to the complex, challenging, and rewarding work of building and sustaining rural communities.

Social workers choosing to work in smaller towns or rural communities face a different set of conditions and concerns from their city colleagues. Ken Collier wrote his now–classic text Social Work with Rural Peoples, for those social workers, whether they are just starting out or already in the field. The gist of Collier’s genuinely radical book is that for the rural social worker to be effective, she must be able to identify with the struggles of the people she is trying to help – that trying to maintain “professional”, “ objective” distance will merely ensure that the social worker becomes part of the problem rather than part of the solution. For the social worker in a smaller community, “Whose side are you one?” is the most important question to be answered before any effective work can be done. It is an indictment of the slow pace of progress against the societal problems facing rural populations that a third edition of Social Work with Rural Peoples is necessary.