Understanding Social Work Practice In Mental Health

This book provides an authoritative overview of mental health theory, policy, and practice. Exploring the complex moral and ethical dimensions underpinning the field, the book engages with the key issues encountered by practitioners working in the modern mental health system. Using real world scenarios, case studies, and reflective exercises, it asks students to critically examine the world of mental health practice from the perspective of users of mental health services and their careers.

'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 Australia Developing 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.

Social Work in Health and Mental Health: Issues, Developments, and Actions was created for final year undergraduate and master's level students in the health and mental health fields. It is primarily a book on social work practice, discussing how one might approach a specific health or mental health related problem or issue as a social worker. Health and mental health are conceptualized broadly in this volume. The health and well-being of body and mind are seen as integrally connected, shaped by biological, physics, psychological, material, social, and structural features and determinants. Clients are viewed as active, engaged agents, with strengths and resources from which to draw in meeting everyday challenges and major life crises. Contributions form around the world allow the social work student to learn about current practice in places as diverse as Australia, Finland, China, South Africa, Wales, Canada, and the United States. Each chapter is accompanied by both reflection questions and a case study derived from practice and written to stimulate discussion that develops assessment and treatment planning skills.

This third edition provides a thorough grounding in the key issues in mental health and, by highlighting the skills and values that are necessary for contemporary practice, helps students to develop their knowledge and understanding to enable them to deliver an appropriate and responsive service for people facing mental health challenges. This edition also reflects the recent and important changes to mental health legislation policies and practice, including the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Mental Health Act 2007, which makes significant amendments to the 1983 MHA, including the introduction of the Approved Mental Health Professional.

In Mental Health Social Work, Colin Pritchard draws on his many years of experience in research, teaching and practice in order to explore key issues for social workers who want to work in the mental health field. Mental health social work can be one of the most rewarding and one of the most frustrating areas of social work practice. Social workers need to have a good knowledge of interventions and their evidence bases, from pharmacology to psychotherapy, but also be able to work sensitively and effectively with both clients and carers in a rapidly changing context. Based on a series of case studies and research based practice, the book explores key topics including: the multiple factors affecting mental health the bio-psycho-social model of practice key areas including depression, suicide, schizophrenia and personality disorder the mental healthâ€"child protection interface residential work treatment modalities. Presenting new and challenging research findings in this field, this book will be invaluable reading for undergraduate social work students and for practising social workers.

Health services practice or working with clients facing health issues requires diverse approaches and wide-ranging knowledge. In this ground-breaking book 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. The book begins by examining the nature of health social work and considers its core values and principles. This section also provides an overview of the social determinants of health. Part 2 explores key areas of practice including working with children, mothers and families, hospital-based social work, domestic and family violence, mental health, dual diagnosis, forensic social work, Indigenous approaches to health, oncology and aged care. Part 3 looks at politicised issues in the field including working with people living with disability, 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. Social Work Practice in Health is destined to become a key reference tool for social work students and practitioners, providing practical, evidence-based and insightful approaches.

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.

Clear, comprehensive, and accessible, this textbook presents an overview of the contemporary American mental health system and its impact on clients and social workers. The failure of the system to provide quality care for the mentally ill is explored, including issues and policies that social workers face in accessing mental health care for their clients, while also discussing the ways in which social workers can improve the overall functioning of the system and promote the development and expansion of policy and practice innovations. This is the first textbook to examine the lack of understanding of the roots of mental illness, the challenges in classification of mental disorders for social workers, and difficult behavioral manifestations of mental illness. By looking at the flaws and disparities in the provision of mental health services, especially in relation to the criminal justice system and homelessness and mental illness, social work students will be able to apply policy and practice to improve mental health care in their everyday work. A focus on the lived experiences of the mentally ill and their families, along with the experiences of social workers, adds a unique, real-world perspective. Key Features: Delivers a clear and accessible overview and critique of social work in the broader context of mental health care in the US Reviews historical and current mental health policies, laws, and treatments, and assesses their impact on social services for the mentally ill Investigates racial and ethnic disparities in mental health provision Incorporates the experiences of people with mental illness as well as those of social workers Offers recommendations for future social work development of mental health policies and services Includes Instructors Manual with PowerPoint slides, chapter summaries and objectives, and discussion questions Addresses CSWE core competency requirements