Social Work Practice in Mental Health: An introduction

by Robert Bland, Ann Tullgren

'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.

Genres: Social Work, Mental Health

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

1779–1825

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally a good overview as an introduction to working in the mental health field. It is, however, quite dense and they could probably say as much in half the pages. It would have been better for my studies if they'd done this and added specific case studies or information regarding mental health as much as a guide for practicing in the field.

[Sally Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good text.
I found there could have been more theory in practice examples on implementing the theory rather than just scenario perspectives.
Ultimately as far as texts go, it was interesting and easy to read.

[Olivia Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative text about social work in the mental health industry.