Synopses & Reviews
The first textbook to emphasize the importance of critical thinking skills to practice, this third edition of the classic Social Work Practice retains its unique focus on thinking critically about decisions that social workers make daily. Organized around the phases of helping, this hands-on introduction highlights the decision points that social workers encounter during assessment, intervention, and evaluation. This text, together with its companion website, provides students with a wealth of hands-on exercises for developing and assessing their practice skills. Most importantly, it helps students enhance client well-being by becoming critical thinkers and evidence-informed practitioners.
Review
"...essential reading for social work practitioners, students, and educators...conceptually rich...The book is so vital to our profession that every social worker should digest it themselves...We use this book in our undergraduate program as a very accessible foundation for ethical and informed practice. Any social worker at any level of training or practice would benefit from reading and contiously referring to this important work."--Research on Social Work Practice
About the Author
Eileen Gambrill, PhD, is the Hutto Patterson Charitable Foundation Professor in Child and Family Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Social Workers at Work
Part I. Getting Oriented
1. Social Work: An Introduction
2. Clients and Services
3. Values, Ethics, and Obligations
Part II. Thinking about Knowledge and How to Get it
4. Different Views of Knowledge
5. Critical Thinking: Integral to Evidence-Based Practice
Part III. Thinking about Problems and Causes
6. Competing Views of Personal and Social Problems and Their Causes
7. Taking Advantage of Research Findings about Behavior and How it is Influenced by the Environment
Part IV. A Decision-Focused Practice Model
8. Problem Solving and Decision Making: Integral to Helping Clients
9. Evidence-Based Practice: A Decision-Making Process and Philosophy
10. Posing Questions and Searching for Answers
11. Critically Appraising Research: Thinking for Yourself
Part V. Getting Started
12. A Contextual Assessment Framework
13. Beginning: A Practice Guide
14. Engaging Clients
Part VI. Relationship Skills
15. Interpersonal Helping Skills
16. Creating and Handling Challenging Social Situations
Part VII. Gathering and Organizing Information
17. Where to Look: Deciding How to Gather Needed Information
18. Observation: Learning to See
19. Reviewing Resources and Obstacles
20. Putting it All Together
Part VIII. Selecting Plans and Assessing Progress
21. Selecting and Implementing Service Plans
22. Evaluating Outcomes as Integral to Problem Solving
23. Planning for Endings
Part IX. Intervention Options
24. Empowering Clients: Providing Information and Skill Building
25. Helping Clients Learn Positive Behavior Change Skills
26. Working with Groups and Families
27. Organizations and Communities
Part X. The Long Run
28. Maintaining Skills and Staying Happy in Your Work
References
Index