Social Work Practice For Promoting Health And Wellbeing

Promoting health and wellbeing is an essential part of all effective social work – not just for practice in healthcare settings. In fact, the IFSW holds that ‘social workers in all settings are engaged in health work’ and physical and mental resilience can make a major difference to all service users’ lives. Drawing on international literature and research, the authors collected here encourage thinking about the social, political, cultural, emotional, spiritual, economic and spatial aspects of health and wellbeing, and how they impact on the unique strengths and challenges of working with particular populations and communities. Divided into three parts, the first section outlines the major theoretical paradigms and critical debates around social work and ideas of wellbeing, globalisation, risk and vulnerability, and the natural environment. The second part goes on to explore how diverse understandings of culture, identity, spirituality and health require different strategies for meeting health and wellbeing needs. The final part presents a variety of examples of social work research in relation to health and wellbeing with specific populations, including mental health. Exploring how structural inequality, oppression and stigma can impact upon people, and drawing upon a social model of health, this book is an important read for all practitioners and researchers interested in social work, public health and social inclusion.

Social work educators can play an important part in ensuring that the promotion of health and well-being is firmly on the social work agenda for service users, as well as for students and educators. Nevertheless, this has not been a priority within social work education and presents a challenge which requires some re-thinking in terms of curriculum content, pedagogy, and how social workers respond to social problems. Furthermore, if the promotion of health and well-being is not considered a priority for social workers, this raises important questions about the role and relevance of social work in health, and thus poses challenges to social work education, both now and in the future. This book contains contributions from social work educators from Australia, America, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. They reflect on how best to prepare students to put health and well-being to the forefront of practice, drawing on research on quality of life, subjective well-being, student well-being, community participation and social connectedness, religion and spirituality, mindful practices, trauma and health inequalities. This book is an extended version of a special issue of Social Work Education.

This new edition continues to build on the sound philosophical approach of the previous editions. Provides an even stronger global perspective whilst highlighting the inextricable ties between the health of populations with the social, environmental and political context of people's lives. Authors from La Trobe Uni, Australia.

Social Work Practice in Health Care by Karen M. Allen and William J. Spitzer is a pragmatic and comprehensive book that helps readers develop the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for effective health care social work practice, as well as an understanding of the technological, social, political, ethical, and financial factors affecting contemporary patient care. Packed with case studies and exercises, the book emphasizes the importance of being attentive to both patient and organizational needs, covers emerging trends in health care policy and delivery, provides extensive discussion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and addresses social work practice across the continuum of care.

'An invaluable resource for social workers in all practice settings, not just mental health, and a core text for social work students.' - Dr Valerie Gerrand, former AASW representative and board member of the Mental Health Council of Australia'An outstanding and very original contribution to the scholarship on mental health policy, research and service.' - Associate Professor Maria Harries AM, University of Western AustraliaDeveloping the skills to work effectively with people who have mental health problems is fundamental to contemporary social work practice. Practitioners face new challenges in a rapidly changing work environment including working with consumers and their families and in multidisciplinary teams. Now, more than ever, social workers need discipline-specific mental health knowledge and training.This second edition of Social Work Practice in Mental Health continues the guiding principles of the first edition - an emphasis on the centrality of the lived experience of mental illness and the importance of embracing both scientific and relational dimensions of practice. The new edition reflects the latest developments in best practice including the emergence of recovery theory and the importance of evidence-based approaches.This is a comprehensive guide to social work practice in specialist mental health settings as well as in other fields of practice, covering the most commonly encountered mental health problems. It features information on assessment, case management, family work and community work, and reveals how the core concerns of social work - human rights, self-determination and relationships with family and the wider community - are also central to mental health practice.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of current research, policy, and practice developments in promoting mental health and well-being. It offers guidance on developing and delivering mental health promotion interventions across a variety of settings internationally. Chapters outline key mental health promotion concepts, implementation processes, and outcomes through empirical findings, practical advice based on successful evidence-based approaches, and templates for action. In addition, chapters answer key “how” questions on practical implementation as well as the “whys”, providing rationales for mental health promotion and identifying the key factors and underlying principles that make these interventions work. The book includes examples of evidence-based practice with 17 case studies of innovative interventions from different international settings. These case studies illustrate the practical aspects of intervention development and delivery and the realities of implementing policies and programes outside of controlled research conditions. Topics featured in this book include: · Interventions that promote gender equality. · Community empowerment models of mental health promotion. · Mental health promotion in the home for children and parents. · Promoting social and emotional learning in schools. · Addressing stress and promoting mentally healthy workplaces. · Mental health promotion within primary health care. · Re-orienting mental health services to mental health promotion for service users and caregivers. Implementing Mental Health Promotion, Second Edition, is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians and related professionals, and policymakers as well as graduate students across such interrelated disciplines as health promotion, public health, child and school psychology, social work, clinical psychology, child and adolescent psychiatry, health psychology, educational policy and practice, school nursing, occupational therapy, school counseling, and family studies.

Social Work and Integrated Care draws on the latest research, practice and theory to explore integration within both child and adult services. Although all the home nations in the UK view integrated care as a top priority within health and social care policy, many people continue to experience fragmented care. This book sets out the case for integration, considers the evidence of its impact, and discusses the implementation challenges that must be overcome. Packed full of current examples of integration, from across the UK and internationally, and reflexive exercises which highlight practice issues for social workers, it provides the following key learning outcomes: • An understanding of what is meant by integrated care and why it is seen as vital to a modern health and social system. • A knowledge of the expected impacts in relation to improving the experience and outcomes for individuals and their families, addressing inequalities and promoting health and wellbeing and increasing financial efficiency. • A recognition of the common barriers to integrated care and what such fragmentation can mean for individuals and their families. • A critical review of key approaches to promote integration and their practical implementation. • Reflection on the potential contribution of social workers and their own collaborative practice. Providing a comprehensive and accessible overview of integrated care policies and practice, this book will help prepare social workers for the realities of collaborating with other professions and services. It should be considered essential reading for students undertaking their professional qualification and those who are in practice who are looking to improve their ability to collaborate.

With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem in any given year, mental health is a more important part of social work training than ever before, and all successful social workers need to understand the core values, skills and knowledge that underpin excellent practice in a modern mental health system. Written as an accessible introduction to the complex issues around mental health, this book has become a classic in its field. Law and policy are clearly outlined while the authors give space to important ethical considerations when working with the most vulnerable in society. There are clear links between policy, legislation and real life practice as well as a wealth of learning features.