What the heck is a wiki? Don't tell my students, but I actually think that
Wikipedia is a good sourceon this one! That website states "a wiki is a website that uses wiki software, allowing the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked Web pages" within an Internet browser setting. Further, "wikis are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems."
One example of a wiki that would be especially relevant to teaching social work students here at Salem State College would be our very own Tara Fitzpatrick's wiki on "collection development resources, tools, and news related to Criminal Justice, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology." You can find that wiki by
clicking here.
Here is an excert of one of Tara's most recent postings on recent social work-related aquisitions (and critical reviews). Note that we have bought several titles related to social work practice with older adults!
These titles relating to Social Work have been ordered and should appear in the library catalog (reviews from Books In Print booksinprint@bowker.com have been included whenever possible):
Title: Better but Not Well: Mental Health Policy in the United States
Since 1950
Author: Richard G. Frank
Publication Date: July 2006
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8018-8442-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-8018-8442-9
Choice
April 1, 2007 0-8018-8442-X; 978-0-8018-8442-9
Frank (health economics, Harvard) and Glied (health policy and
management, Columbia Univ.) look closely at changes in the social
conditions and treatment of those affected by varying types and degrees
of mental illness. They chronicle the waning political and economic
influence of state-run mental health agencies, which oversaw mental
institutions that relied heavily on custodial care but had only a
skeleton staff of professional workers. The authors observe that in the
last 50 years an increase in the number of skilled mental health
professionals has combined with access to therapeutic psychotropic drugs
to give individuals suffering from mental illness (e.g., depression,
anxiety disorders) a greater variety of treatment options. In addition,
enrollment in public, private, and entitlement-based insurance coverage
has increased, giving these entities more political clout and a greater
say in policymaking decisions in a deregulated, market-driven
environment. But despite this systemwide progress, many homeless and
indigent individuals still fall between the cracks and are ignored.
Block grant funding to states has been ineffective, since it covers only
a fraction of what is required. The authors include detailed data on
these issues in this carefully researched study. Summing Up:
Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and
professionals; general readers. D. J. Winchester Yeshiva University
SciTech Book News
December 1, 2006 0-8018-8443-8; 978-0-8018-8443-6
Mental health policy in the US is often based on erroneous ideas about
the recent history of policy and practice, say Frank (health economics,
Harvard U.) and Glied (health policy and management, Columbia U.), so to
improve the quality of that policy making, they trace changes over the
past half century in the lives of people with mental illnesses, and
assess the factors that generated these changes. The deficiencies of the
present, they argue, must be seen as incomplete improvements rather than
as impediments. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Engaging Children in Family Therapy: Creative Approaches to
Integrating Theory and Research in Clinical Practice
Contributor: Catherine Ford Sori
Publication Date: June 2006
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-415-94981-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-94981-1
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Title: Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-First Century: A Social
Work Perspective
Author: Virginia E. Richardson
Publication Date: December 2005
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-231-10748-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-231-10748-8
Choice
June 1, 2006 0-231-10748-X; 978-0-231-10748-8
Over the past century, the number of Americans over age 65 has increased
tenfold, making social services to older adults more significant and
necessary than ever. Social work professors Richardson (Ohio State
Univ.) and Barusch (Utah College) have compiled a well-organized,
exhaustively researched work covering all aspects of gerontological
social work. Divided into four parts, the book covers various theories
of aging and stages of gerontological social work services; common
concerns of older adults, such as depression, anxiety, isolation,
bereavement, dementia, and substance abuse; therapeutic interventions
commonly used by gerontological social workers; and sociopolitical
issues of older people, such as poverty, health insurance concerns, and
end-of-life care. Packed with practical intervention strategies and
realistic case examples, the chapters flow neatly and end with useful
discussion questions appropriate for undergraduate and graduate-level
students. Throughout, the authors give equal attention to micro
(individual) and macro (policy-based) concerns and interventions, and
organize their ideas into a clear framework for working with older
adults. This book would serve well as required reading for all levels of
gerontological social work coursework, and as supplemental reading for
health sciences and nursing students. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended.
Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. K. Downey California State
University, San Bernardino
---------------------------------------
Title: Handbook of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Adolescent
Girls
Contributor: Craig Winston LeCroy
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-471-67796-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-471-67796-3
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 0-471-67796-5; 978-0-471-67796-3
Thirty American academics, researchers, and practitioners contribute 11
chapters describing exemplary programs from throughout the U.S. that
were designed to promote and strengthen positive functioning and address
problematic realities of adolescent females. Among these examples are
programs suitable for developing and implementing in various settings:
schools, YWCAs, youth camps, after-school programs, mental health
agencies, and youth agencies. The issues they address include universal
prevention, friendships and peer relationships, eating disorders,
depression, HIV prevention among African American girls, leadership
training for young Latinas, family treatment, and mentorship. It is the
editor's hope that the book will inspire more efforts to develop new
programs, involve more young girls, and generate enough force over time
to change their future. For researchers and practitioners including
social workers, psychologists, teachers, school principals, and youth
development professionals. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland,
OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Helping Students Overcome Substance Abuse: Effective Practices
for Prevention and Intervention
Author: Jason J. Burrow-Sanchez
Publication Date: Not Supplied. Contact publisher for more
information
Publisher: Guilford Publications, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-59385-454-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-59385-454-6
Reference & Research Book News
November 1, 2007 1-59385-454-4; 978-1-59385-454-6
Two professors at the University of Utah explore adolescent substance
abuse prevalence, assessment, prevention, group interventions,
individual interventions, and the referral process. Intended for school
mental health professionals, the guide outlines the major substances of
abuse, the steps in the screening process, research-based prevention
programs, the developmental stages of therapy groups, and an action plan
for community-based services. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Hope Springs Maternal: Homeless Mothers Talk about Making Sense
of Adversity
Author: Jill Gerson
Publication Date: July 2007
Publisher: Richard Altschuler & Associates, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-884092-71-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-884092-71-8
Choice
March 1, 2007 1-884092-67-5; 978-1-884092-67-1
Gerson (sociology/social work, Lehman College) provides a qualitative
study of 24 mothers living with children in New York City homeless
shelters. Based on in-depth interviews and the life history approach,
her book allows readers to experience the living reality of homeless
mothers, mainly through their own voices. The life histories of these
young single mothers of color are poignant and profound, heartrending
and instructive. The author asks why mothers with children become
homeless. After presenting biographical portraits of the mothers, Gerson
focuses on their past lives and pathways to the shelter, and their
perceptions and assessments of the shelter system. She analyzes their
present lives inside the shelter system, their views on parenting and
family, the multiple stressors they face, and how they cope with them.
Gerson also explores the mothers' futures: how they envision their
futures beyond the shelter, and their expectations and dreams for their
children and themselves. The author offers recommendations for how
social policies and laws could be used to best solve the problem of
homelessness in the US. A timely, important contribution to the study of
homeless mothers. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All
levels/libraries. D. A. Chekki emeritus, University of Winnipeg
---------------------------------------
Title: The Inner World of a Suicidal Youth: What Every Parent and
Health Professional Should Know
Author: Millie Osborne
Publication Date: November 2007
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-313-34855-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-313-34855-6
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-313-34855-3; 978-0-313-34855-6
Osborne (psychiatry and behavioral sciences, George Washington U.) is a
practicing psychiatrist with 20-plus years of experience in the
profession. She presents an edited diary of a young American woman who
committed suicide in her early 20s. Written over a seven-year period and
discovered only after her death, the diary provides a uniquely in-depth,
longitudinal first-person account of the evolution of self-esteem and
the suicidal process. In addition to a detailed transcription of the
diary, the text includes Osborne's commentary and analysis based on the
diary's contents, discussions with family and friends and treating
professionals, a review of medical and clinical records, and several
encounters with the victim. The text offers health care professionals,
aspiring professionals, and parents insights into the adolescent mind
and the changes needed to develop more effective suicide prevention and
treatment strategies. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: International Perspectives on Social Work: Global Conditions and
Local Practice
Author: Karen Lyons
Publication Date: November 2006
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4039-3951-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-4039-3951-7
Choice
April 1, 2007 1-4039-3951-9; 978-1-4039-3951-7
These original essays, while brief, give a sharp picture of
international social work, a new and growing arena of professional
practice in the early 21st century. From local community conflict to
natural and forced migration and the explosive issue of child
exploitation (including loss, social justice, human rights, and, at most
wrenching, commercial child sexual exploitation), through the worldwide
spread of disease, the authors give a picture of new and necessary
large-scale opportunities to intervene on behalf of some of the world's
most vulnerable populations: victims of war, migrants, and those
suffering from poor physical and mental health. Like most edited
volumes, the book becomes more representative as it develops. Part 1
covers core themes--globalization as fact or fiction, poverty,
inequality, the universality of loss--and the theoretical underpinnings
of international social work. Part 2 demonstrates the interconnected
knowledge and policy debates on, for example, the causes of migration,
the expansion of civil and cross-border conflict, and the exacerbation
of racial and ethnic strife. The book ends with a wonderful chapter that
proposes a new vision for globally minded social work professionals.
^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries. E. A.
Danto City University of New York Hunter College
---------------------------------------
Title: Listening to Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to
Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice
Author: Lisa A. Goodman
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4338-0239-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-4338-0239-3
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Choice
April 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
Both specialists in domestic violence, Goodman (psychology, Boston
College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown Univ.) provide a
multidisciplinary, feminist review of responses to domestic violence.
Shelters, hotlines, protective orders, and improved arrest, prosecution,
and therapeutic responses have revolutionized services to battered women
and go far beyond services offered during the early years, when women
were encouraged to leave not only their abuser but also their community
and support network. Such a "one-size fits all" mentality is not only
unsuitable for impoverished, immigrant, or minority women, it also does
not confront issues of gender and trauma at the core of domestic
violence nor respect women's voices and empowerment. In addition to
recommending domestic-violence training for all health care, justice,
and advocacy providers, the authors urge the mental health system to
reach out to disenfranchised/impoverished women and the justice system
to be sensitive to individual women's voices and not automatically usurp
the women's control. Goodman and Epstein argue that services need to
coordinate to provide a response that respects the woman, adjusts
services to the women's needs, and recognizes the influence of poverty
and gendered society on this problem. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
All readers, all levels. S. M. Valente University of California, Los
Angeles
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
It is time to move the response to intimate partner abuse beyond the
one-size-fits-all model that marginalizes women's particular situations
and perspectives, say Goodman (counseling and developmental and
educational psychology, Boston College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown
U.), especially women of minority cultures or racial groups, those in
same-sex relationships, and those who choose to remain in abusive
relationships. The series presents studies by psychologists working on
social issues from a feminist perspective that are accessible to lay
readers, and longer than journal articles but shorter than full texts.
Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Doody's Reviews
January 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
This is a realistic and detailed discussion of the unfortunate
occurrence of intimate partner violence that affects so many lives. The
purpose is to emphasize the need for increased responsiveness to the
particular concerns of women and the design of practices that not only
work but take an individual rather than a one size fits all approach.
The purpose is also to educate the reader to where we have been, where
we are, and where we need to go in terms of addressing the needs of
abused women and their families. The book exceeds expectations. This is
a must-read for anyone involved or interested in working with victims of
domestic violence. Counselors, clinicians in mental health and general
medicine, public service officials, first responders, and relatives of
victims will find this to be an insightful book. The authors are both
credible and tireless individuals working for the betterment of abused
victims. The book smartly takes the reader on a historical exploration
of past practices in a number of chapters to emphasize how far we have
come and what is still needed for victims of domestic violence. It then
provides an in-depth discussion of the various responses from advocacy
groups, the mental health system, and of course the justice system.
Readers are made fully aware of the complexity, the contradictions, and
the difficulty of reporting abuse and the lack of services currently in
place for domestic violence victims. The book delves into learned
helplessness, the inability of abuse victims to escape the cycle of
abuse, and the power their abusers have over them. The book rounds out
these excellent discussions with a chapter on recommendations for future
reform. This is the quintessential book for a realistic and an
authoritative update on domestic violence. This is a weekend read that
will stimulate and empower those working with domestic violence victims.
Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., BCETS, CATSM(College of Lake County). Copyright
2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
---------------------------------------
Title: Making Contact: The Therapist's Guide to Conducting a Successful
First Interview
Author: Leah M. DeSole
Publication Date: October 2005
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-41935-6
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-41935-7
---------------------------------------
Title: Mental Health Care in the African-American Community
Contributor: Sadye M. L. Logan
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-7890-2611-2
ISBN 13: 978-0-7890-2611-8
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Doody's Reviews
May 1, 2008 0-7890-2612-0; 978-0-7890-2612-5
This book addresses various factors affecting mental healthcare among
African-Americans and is written from a life course perspective, given
each individual's unique experiences of stability and change over time.
According to the editors, "The purpose of this book is twofold. First,
it will provide a critique and analysis of the history, philosophy,
policies, research, and practice modalities that undergird mental health
care in the Black community. Second, the book will use a life course
perspective and evidence-based practice not only to frame this critique
and analysis but also to suggest new and expanded ways of
conceptualizing the mental health needs and care of the Black
community." It is intended to serve "not only as a resource guide for
the lay community but also as a textbook for the professional
community," according to the editors. It also appears appropriate for an
undergraduate course in psychology and/or social work, but I question
whether the professional community will benefit, only because the book
seems rather basic. The editors have published extensively in the area
of social work and the contributors work in social work or counseling
departments at universities across the United States. The book covers
historical factors, mental health interventions, public policy issues,
and holistic approaches underlying mental health care with
African-Americans. Because it covers so many topics, it would be well
received as an introductory text in an undergraduate setting. However,
trying to cover so much ground over 396 pages is difficult and the
material is often superficially treated. Since I work with females in a
correctional setting, I was especially interested in the well written
chapter that addresses this area and includes results of an interview
study of 13 women returning to their communities in Chicago from prison.
In general, the subtopics are interesting but short. I found myself
wanting more information, but realized that I would have to find it
through the sources in the reference list. Most chapters include
conclusions, summaries, discussion questions, and group/classroom
activities. A few include case studies and exhibits/figures. However,
the life course perspective advertised in the introduction is not so
obvious in all the chapters and the chapters are short, making it
necessary for readers to seek out other sources of information. This
book does an excellent job of presenting the salient issues underlying
mental healthcare in the African-American community. However, it doesn't
cover the material quite as well as another book in the field, Black
Families in Therapy: Understanding the African American Experience, 2nd
edition, Boyd-Franklin (Guilford Press, 2003). In general, as a resource
for the general public or as a text for undergraduates, this book would
be very useful, especially given the discussion questions and classroom
activities. Authors must always balance the priorities of covering many
topics superficially or a few topics rather thoroughly. As a
professional in the field of mental health, I was mildly disappointed
because I wanted more information. Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health
Services). Copyright 2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-7890-2611-2; 978-0-7890-2611-8
Twenty-four American academics and practitioners contribute 20 chapters
critiquing and analyzing the history, philosophy, policies, research,
and practice modalities that undergrid mental health care in the Black
community. The text uses a life course perspective and evidence-based
practice to frame the critique and analysis and to suggest new,
nontraditional and expanded ways of conceptualizing the mental health
needs and care of the Black community from a social work perspective.
Included are chapters on mental health care for specific segments of the
population and conditions: group homes and foster care, women and
depression, incarcerated women, substance abuse, poverty, ADHD, girls,
suicide and young males, the elderly, rural inhabitants, kinship care,
and multiethnic families and children. For students, researchers,
educators, and practitioners in the helping professions, and mental
health consumers and their families. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: The Other Philadelphia Story: How Local Congregations Support
Quality of Life in Urban America
Author: Ram A. Cnaan
Publication Date: September 2006
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8122-3949-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-8122-3949-2
Choice
September 1, 2007 0-8122-3949-0; 978-0-8122-3949-2
As a professor of social welfare and scholar of religion, Cnaan (Univ.
of Pennsylvania) uses a unique, thorough field study of nearly 2,000
congregations in Philadelphia to probe the issue of social service
delivery through religious institutions. He argues persuasively that
these groups are more numerous, better positioned in neighborhoods where
service needs are greatest, and more trusted and integrated into the
lives of people than any other service providers. However, he also
clearly documents that religious congregations are more highly segmented
by race and social class than almost any other institution, so that
congregations facing the greatest needs for information and services
paradoxically also have the fewest resources to deliver (and vice
versa). Transferring external government resources through these
congregations could redress this lack of fit between needs and
resources, but might thereby drown personalized, informal network
connections in formal bureaucracy--there are no easy answers here. The
book will be useful for graduate courses in social welfare and religion,
and to scholars in both fields. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most
levels/libraries. E. Carlson Florida State University
---------------------------------------
Title: Professional Communication Skills in Social Work
Author: Nancy Sidell
Publication Date: September 2007
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-52421-4
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-52421-1
---------------------------------------
Title: Social Work with the Aged and Their Families: Third Edition
Author: Roberta R. Greene
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: Aldine Transaction
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-202-36182-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-202-36182-6
---------------------------------------
Copyright © 2008 R.R. Bowker LLC. All rights reserved. Bowker® and Books
In Print® are registered trademarks and The Bowker logo,
booksinprint.comT, BookwireThese titles relating to Social Work have been ordered and should appear in the library catalog (reviews from Books In Print booksinprint@bowker.com have been included whenever possible):
Title: Better but Not Well: Mental Health Policy in the United States
Since 1950
Author: Richard G. Frank
Publication Date: July 2006
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8018-8442-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-8018-8442-9
Choice
April 1, 2007 0-8018-8442-X; 978-0-8018-8442-9
Frank (health economics, Harvard) and Glied (health policy and
management, Columbia Univ.) look closely at changes in the social
conditions and treatment of those affected by varying types and degrees
of mental illness. They chronicle the waning political and economic
influence of state-run mental health agencies, which oversaw mental
institutions that relied heavily on custodial care but had only a
skeleton staff of professional workers. The authors observe that in the
last 50 years an increase in the number of skilled mental health
professionals has combined with access to therapeutic psychotropic drugs
to give individuals suffering from mental illness (e.g., depression,
anxiety disorders) a greater variety of treatment options. In addition,
enrollment in public, private, and entitlement-based insurance coverage
has increased, giving these entities more political clout and a greater
say in policymaking decisions in a deregulated, market-driven
environment. But despite this systemwide progress, many homeless and
indigent individuals still fall between the cracks and are ignored.
Block grant funding to states has been ineffective, since it covers only
a fraction of what is required. The authors include detailed data on
these issues in this carefully researched study. Summing Up:
Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and
professionals; general readers. D. J. Winchester Yeshiva University
SciTech Book News
December 1, 2006 0-8018-8443-8; 978-0-8018-8443-6
Mental health policy in the US is often based on erroneous ideas about
the recent history of policy and practice, say Frank (health economics,
Harvard U.) and Glied (health policy and management, Columbia U.), so to
improve the quality of that policy making, they trace changes over the
past half century in the lives of people with mental illnesses, and
assess the factors that generated these changes. The deficiencies of the
present, they argue, must be seen as incomplete improvements rather than
as impediments. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Engaging Children in Family Therapy: Creative Approaches to
Integrating Theory and Research in Clinical Practice
Contributor: Catherine Ford Sori
Publication Date: June 2006
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-415-94981-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-94981-1
---------------------------------------
Title: Family Abuse and Violence: A Social Problems Perspective
Author: JoAnn L. Miller
Publication Date: September 2006
Publisher: AltaMira Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-7591-0800-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-7591-0800-4
SciTech Book News
0-7591-0801-3; 978-0-7591-0801-1
For undergraduate and graduate students, Miller and Knudsen (sociology
and women's studies, Purdue U.) provide a text that addresses the
problem of family abuse and violence in the US, analyzing child,
partner, and elder abuse. They first present a conceptual framework that
integrates research in subfields with research studying them as
dimensions of a single problem, calling it the Family Abuse and Violence
Episode perspective, which integrates social theories and represents a
new method for examining intragenerational and intergenerational abuse.
Their method concentrates on the social context and considers historical
studies and types of abuse. Other chapters address medical, legal, and
social problems, child sexual abuse and exploitation, definitions and
perceptions of victims and perpetrators, dating and intimate partner
violence, and neglect. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
Choice
July 1, 2007 0-7591-0801-3; 978-0-7591-0801-1
Purdue sociologists Miller and Knudsen examine the various dimensions of
inter-and intragenerational family abuse and violence, focusing on
historical and contemporary conceptualizations of child and spouse
abuse. They present a conceptual framework: the "Family Abuse and
Violence (FAV) Episode," which integrates social science theories and
highlights the social context in which family problems occur. Based on
data gathered from their original research, the National Survey of
Violence against Women and Men, and newspaper reports, the book analyzes
physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from the medical, legal, and
social problems perspectives. The authors discuss the medical and legal
responses to victims and perpetrators, the public perception of what
constitutes appropriate responses to FAV problems, and how they
correspond to prevailing practices. The study looks at the consequences
of intra- and intergenerational abuse and violence on children, spouses,
partners, and elders, and examines some controversies and emerging
debates in the field. The concluding chapter summarizes the current
state of knowledge and the extent of success in reducing family abuse
and violence, emphasizing the need for academics, practitioners, and
community leaders to work together to diminish this social problem.
Almost encyclopedic in nature, this book is a major contribution to the
field of family abuse and violence. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
Upper-division undergraduates and above. D. A. Chekki emeritus,
University of Winnipeg
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2007 0-7591-0800-5; 978-0-7591-0800-4
For undergraduate and graduate students, Miller and Knudsen (sociology
and women's studies, Purdue U.) provide a text that addresses the
problem of family abuse and violence in the US, analyzing child,
partner, and elder abuse. They first present a conceptual framework that
integrates research in subfields with research studying them as
dimensions of a single problem, calling it the Family Abuse and Violence
Episode perspective, which integrates social theories and represents a
new method for examining intragenerational and intergenerational abuse.
Their method concentrates on the social context and considers historical
studies and types of abuse. Other chapters address medical, legal, and
social problems, child sexual abuse and exploitation, definitions and
perceptions of victims and perpetrators, dating and intimate partner
violence, and neglect. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-First Century: A Social
Work Perspective
Author: Virginia E. Richardson
Publication Date: December 2005
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-231-10748-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-231-10748-8
Choice
June 1, 2006 0-231-10748-X; 978-0-231-10748-8
Over the past century, the number of Americans over age 65 has increased
tenfold, making social services to older adults more significant and
necessary than ever. Social work professors Richardson (Ohio State
Univ.) and Barusch (Utah College) have compiled a well-organized,
exhaustively researched work covering all aspects of gerontological
social work. Divided into four parts, the book covers various theories
of aging and stages of gerontological social work services; common
concerns of older adults, such as depression, anxiety, isolation,
bereavement, dementia, and substance abuse; therapeutic interventions
commonly used by gerontological social workers; and sociopolitical
issues of older people, such as poverty, health insurance concerns, and
end-of-life care. Packed with practical intervention strategies and
realistic case examples, the chapters flow neatly and end with useful
discussion questions appropriate for undergraduate and graduate-level
students. Throughout, the authors give equal attention to micro
(individual) and macro (policy-based) concerns and interventions, and
organize their ideas into a clear framework for working with older
adults. This book would serve well as required reading for all levels of
gerontological social work coursework, and as supplemental reading for
health sciences and nursing students. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended.
Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. K. Downey California State
University, San Bernardino
---------------------------------------
Title: Handbook of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Adolescent
Girls
Contributor: Craig Winston LeCroy
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-471-67796-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-471-67796-3
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 0-471-67796-5; 978-0-471-67796-3
Thirty American academics, researchers, and practitioners contribute 11
chapters describing exemplary programs from throughout the U.S. that
were designed to promote and strengthen positive functioning and address
problematic realities of adolescent females. Among these examples are
programs suitable for developing and implementing in various settings:
schools, YWCAs, youth camps, after-school programs, mental health
agencies, and youth agencies. The issues they address include universal
prevention, friendships and peer relationships, eating disorders,
depression, HIV prevention among African American girls, leadership
training for young Latinas, family treatment, and mentorship. It is the
editor's hope that the book will inspire more efforts to develop new
programs, involve more young girls, and generate enough force over time
to change their future. For researchers and practitioners including
social workers, psychologists, teachers, school principals, and youth
development professionals. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland,
OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Helping Students Overcome Substance Abuse: Effective Practices
for Prevention and Intervention
Author: Jason J. Burrow-Sanchez
Publication Date: Not Supplied. Contact publisher for more
information
Publisher: Guilford Publications, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-59385-454-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-59385-454-6
Reference & Research Book News
November 1, 2007 1-59385-454-4; 978-1-59385-454-6
Two professors at the University of Utah explore adolescent substance
abuse prevalence, assessment, prevention, group interventions,
individual interventions, and the referral process. Intended for school
mental health professionals, the guide outlines the major substances of
abuse, the steps in the screening process, research-based prevention
programs, the developmental stages of therapy groups, and an action plan
for community-based services. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Hope Springs Maternal: Homeless Mothers Talk about Making Sense
of Adversity
Author: Jill Gerson
Publication Date: July 2007
Publisher: Richard Altschuler & Associates, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-884092-71-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-884092-71-8
Choice
March 1, 2007 1-884092-67-5; 978-1-884092-67-1
Gerson (sociology/social work, Lehman College) provides a qualitative
study of 24 mothers living with children in New York City homeless
shelters. Based on in-depth interviews and the life history approach,
her book allows readers to experience the living reality of homeless
mothers, mainly through their own voices. The life histories of these
young single mothers of color are poignant and profound, heartrending
and instructive. The author asks why mothers with children become
homeless. After presenting biographical portraits of the mothers, Gerson
focuses on their past lives and pathways to the shelter, and their
perceptions and assessments of the shelter system. She analyzes their
present lives inside the shelter system, their views on parenting and
family, the multiple stressors they face, and how they cope with them.
Gerson also explores the mothers' futures: how they envision their
futures beyond the shelter, and their expectations and dreams for their
children and themselves. The author offers recommendations for how
social policies and laws could be used to best solve the problem of
homelessness in the US. A timely, important contribution to the study of
homeless mothers. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All
levels/libraries. D. A. Chekki emeritus, University of Winnipeg
---------------------------------------
Title: The Inner World of a Suicidal Youth: What Every Parent and
Health Professional Should Know
Author: Millie Osborne
Publication Date: November 2007
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-313-34855-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-313-34855-6
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-313-34855-3; 978-0-313-34855-6
Osborne (psychiatry and behavioral sciences, George Washington U.) is a
practicing psychiatrist with 20-plus years of experience in the
profession. She presents an edited diary of a young American woman who
committed suicide in her early 20s. Written over a seven-year period and
discovered only after her death, the diary provides a uniquely in-depth,
longitudinal first-person account of the evolution of self-esteem and
the suicidal process. In addition to a detailed transcription of the
diary, the text includes Osborne's commentary and analysis based on the
diary's contents, discussions with family and friends and treating
professionals, a review of medical and clinical records, and several
encounters with the victim. The text offers health care professionals,
aspiring professionals, and parents insights into the adolescent mind
and the changes needed to develop more effective suicide prevention and
treatment strategies. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: International Perspectives on Social Work: Global Conditions and
Local Practice
Author: Karen Lyons
Publication Date: November 2006
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4039-3951-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-4039-3951-7
Choice
April 1, 2007 1-4039-3951-9; 978-1-4039-3951-7
These original essays, while brief, give a sharp picture of
international social work, a new and growing arena of professional
practice in the early 21st century. From local community conflict to
natural and forced migration and the explosive issue of child
exploitation (including loss, social justice, human rights, and, at most
wrenching, commercial child sexual exploitation), through the worldwide
spread of disease, the authors give a picture of new and necessary
large-scale opportunities to intervene on behalf of some of the world's
most vulnerable populations: victims of war, migrants, and those
suffering from poor physical and mental health. Like most edited
volumes, the book becomes more representative as it develops. Part 1
covers core themes--globalization as fact or fiction, poverty,
inequality, the universality of loss--and the theoretical underpinnings
of international social work. Part 2 demonstrates the interconnected
knowledge and policy debates on, for example, the causes of migration,
the expansion of civil and cross-border conflict, and the exacerbation
of racial and ethnic strife. The book ends with a wonderful chapter that
proposes a new vision for globally minded social work professionals.
^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries. E. A.
Danto City University of New York Hunter College
---------------------------------------
Title: Listening to Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to
Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice
Author: Lisa A. Goodman
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4338-0239-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-4338-0239-3
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Choice
April 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
Both specialists in domestic violence, Goodman (psychology, Boston
College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown Univ.) provide a
multidisciplinary, feminist review of responses to domestic violence.
Shelters, hotlines, protective orders, and improved arrest, prosecution,
and therapeutic responses have revolutionized services to battered women
and go far beyond services offered during the early years, when women
were encouraged to leave not only their abuser but also their community
and support network. Such a "one-size fits all" mentality is not only
unsuitable for impoverished, immigrant, or minority women, it also does
not confront issues of gender and trauma at the core of domestic
violence nor respect women's voices and empowerment. In addition to
recommending domestic-violence training for all health care, justice,
and advocacy providers, the authors urge the mental health system to
reach out to disenfranchised/impoverished women and the justice system
to be sensitive to individual women's voices and not automatically usurp
the women's control. Goodman and Epstein argue that services need to
coordinate to provide a response that respects the woman, adjusts
services to the women's needs, and recognizes the influence of poverty
and gendered society on this problem. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
All readers, all levels. S. M. Valente University of California, Los
Angeles
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
It is time to move the response to intimate partner abuse beyond the
one-size-fits-all model that marginalizes women's particular situations
and perspectives, say Goodman (counseling and developmental and
educational psychology, Boston College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown
U.), especially women of minority cultures or racial groups, those in
same-sex relationships, and those who choose to remain in abusive
relationships. The series presents studies by psychologists working on
social issues from a feminist perspective that are accessible to lay
readers, and longer than journal articles but shorter than full texts.
Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Doody's Reviews
January 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
This is a realistic and detailed discussion of the unfortunate
occurrence of intimate partner violence that affects so many lives. The
purpose is to emphasize the need for increased responsiveness to the
particular concerns of women and the design of practices that not only
work but take an individual rather than a one size fits all approach.
The purpose is also to educate the reader to where we have been, where
we are, and where we need to go in terms of addressing the needs of
abused women and their families. The book exceeds expectations. This is
a must-read for anyone involved or interested in working with victims of
domestic violence. Counselors, clinicians in mental health and general
medicine, public service officials, first responders, and relatives of
victims will find this to be an insightful book. The authors are both
credible and tireless individuals working for the betterment of abused
victims. The book smartly takes the reader on a historical exploration
of past practices in a number of chapters to emphasize how far we have
come and what is still needed for victims of domestic violence. It then
provides an in-depth discussion of the various responses from advocacy
groups, the mental health system, and of course the justice system.
Readers are made fully aware of the complexity, the contradictions, and
the difficulty of reporting abuse and the lack of services currently in
place for domestic violence victims. The book delves into learned
helplessness, the inability of abuse victims to escape the cycle of
abuse, and the power their abusers have over them. The book rounds out
these excellent discussions with a chapter on recommendations for future
reform. This is the quintessential book for a realistic and an
authoritative update on domestic violence. This is a weekend read that
will stimulate and empower those working with domestic violence victims.
Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., BCETS, CATSM(College of Lake County). Copyright
2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
---------------------------------------
Title: Making Contact: The Therapist's Guide to Conducting a Successful
First Interview
Author: Leah M. DeSole
Publication Date: October 2005
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-41935-6
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-41935-7
---------------------------------------
Title: Mental Health Care in the African-American Community
Contributor: Sadye M. L. Logan
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-7890-2611-2
ISBN 13: 978-0-7890-2611-8
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Doody's Reviews
May 1, 2008 0-7890-2612-0; 978-0-7890-2612-5
This book addresses various factors affecting mental healthcare among
African-Americans and is written from a life course perspective, given
each individual's unique experiences of stability and change over time.
According to the editors, "The purpose of this book is twofold. First,
it will provide a critique and analysis of the history, philosophy,
policies, research, and practice modalities that undergird mental health
care in the Black community. Second, the book will use a life course
perspective and evidence-based practice not only to frame this critique
and analysis but also to suggest new and expanded ways of
conceptualizing the mental health needs and care of the Black
community." It is intended to serve "not only as a resource guide for
the lay community but also as a textbook for the professional
community," according to the editors. It also appears appropriate for an
undergraduate course in psychology and/or social work, but I question
whether the professional community will benefit, only because the book
seems rather basic. The editors have published extensively in the area
of social work and the contributors work in social work or counseling
departments at universities across the United States. The book covers
historical factors, mental health interventions, public policy issues,
and holistic approaches underlying mental health care with
African-Americans. Because it covers so many topics, it would be well
received as an introductory text in an undergraduate setting. However,
trying to cover so much ground over 396 pages is difficult and the
material is often superficially treated. Since I work with females in a
correctional setting, I was especially interested in the well written
chapter that addresses this area and includes results of an interview
study of 13 women returning to their communities in Chicago from prison.
In general, the subtopics are interesting but short. I found myself
wanting more information, but realized that I would have to find it
through the sources in the reference list. Most chapters include
conclusions, summaries, discussion questions, and group/classroom
activities. A few include case studies and exhibits/figures. However,
the life course perspective advertised in the introduction is not so
obvious in all the chapters and the chapters are short, making it
necessary for readers to seek out other sources of information. This
book does an excellent job of presenting the salient issues underlying
mental healthcare in the African-American community. However, it doesn't
cover the material quite as well as another book in the field, Black
Families in Therapy: Understanding the African American Experience, 2nd
edition, Boyd-Franklin (Guilford Press, 2003). In general, as a resource
for the general public or as a text for undergraduates, this book would
be very useful, especially given the discussion questions and classroom
activities. Authors must always balance the priorities of covering many
topics superficially or a few topics rather thoroughly. As a
professional in the field of mental health, I was mildly disappointed
because I wanted more information. Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health
Services). Copyright 2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-7890-2611-2; 978-0-7890-2611-8
Twenty-four American academics and practitioners contribute 20 chapters
critiquing and analyzing the history, philosophy, policies, research,
and practice modalities that undergrid mental health care in the Black
community. The text uses a life course perspective and evidence-based
practice to frame the critique and analysis and to suggest new,
nontraditional and expanded ways of conceptualizing the mental health
needs and care of the Black community from a social work perspective.
Included are chapters on mental health care for specific segments of the
population and conditions: group homes and foster care, women and
depression, incarcerated women, substance abuse, poverty, ADHD, girls,
suicide and young males, the elderly, rural inhabitants, kinship care,
and multiethnic families and children. For students, researchers,
educators, and practitioners in the helping professions, and mental
health consumers and their families. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: The Other Philadelphia Story: How Local Congregations Support
Quality of Life in Urban America
Author: Ram A. Cnaan
Publication Date: September 2006
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8122-3949-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-8122-3949-2
Choice
September 1, 2007 0-8122-3949-0; 978-0-8122-3949-2
As a professor of social welfare and scholar of religion, Cnaan (Univ.
of Pennsylvania) uses a unique, thorough field study of nearly 2,000
congregations in Philadelphia to probe the issue of social service
delivery through religious institutions. He argues persuasively that
these groups are more numerous, better positioned in neighborhoods where
service needs are greatest, and more trusted and integrated into the
lives of people than any other service providers. However, he also
clearly documents that religious congregations are more highly segmented
by race and social class than almost any other institution, so that
congregations facing the greatest needs for information and services
paradoxically also have the fewest resources to deliver (and vice
versa). Transferring external government resources through these
congregations could redress this lack of fit between needs and
resources, but might thereby drown personalized, informal network
connections in formal bureaucracy--there are no easy answers here. The
book will be useful for graduate courses in social welfare and religion,
and to scholars in both fields. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most
levels/libraries. E. Carlson Florida State University
---------------------------------------
Title: Professional Communication Skills in Social Work
Author: Nancy Sidell
Publication Date: September 2007
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-52421-4
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-52421-1
---------------------------------------
Title: Social Work with the Aged and Their Families: Third Edition
Author: Roberta R. Greene
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: Aldine Transaction
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-202-36182-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-202-36182-6
---------------------------------------
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