Examines the origins, development, and rise of the opioid epidemic in the United States from the perspective of the public policy process. Written by two political scientists, discusses institutional features of the American political system that impact the making of public policy, arguing that the fragmentation of that system hinders the ability to coherently address policy problems, taking the opioid epidemic as an example. Analyzes indicators and warning signs pointing to the emergence of a significant public problem, reasons the crisis emerged in the United States and not in other Western countries, the nature and scope of the opioid crisis, including socio-economic and demographic characteristics and the human, social, and economic costs, and parallels between the role played by opioid manufacturers and tobacco/cigarette manufacturers in creating the problem of addiction, resulting in high mortality rates, and the public policy response to both.

When it comes to talking to children and young people about sex and relationships, it is difficult to know what to say. How do you answer their questions? How much is too much? And what is age appropriate? Sex Ed for Grown-Ups is an open and honest guide that empowers adults to talk to young people about all things sex and relationships. Written by an independent relationships and sex education consultant, this light-hearted and accessible book encourages grown-ups to think and talk about the topics that scare them the most: from body parts, gender, puberty and first-time sex, to pornography, sexting and knowing what to do when things go wrong. Full of hints, tips and first-hand stories, it is a fun, compassionate and engaging exploration of relationships and sex, which will help adults to fully support young people as they develop a healthy view of both sex and themselves. Sex Ed for Grown-Ups is essential reading for parents, teachers, youth workers, social workers and any adult who wants to have well-informed and positive conversations with the children and young people in their lives.

First published in 1980, Caring and Curing is for all those involved in the 'caring professions' - medicine, social work, and the other health and welfare occupations. It is both an introduction to philosophy for the caring professions and a philosophy of those professions. The authors believe that the best way to introduce philosophy is to engage in it, to philosophize, and that the most exciting way to philosophize is to offer a reasoned but controversial point of view on matters to which people are professionally committed. They argue, first, that there is an essential unity of the caring professions in that the concepts of health and welfare are different aspects of a single value judgement as to what sort of life a person should be enabled to live in his society. Secondly, they show the limits of scientific expertise in relation to human behaviour and argue that the education of medical and social workers should include broader humane disciplines to assist them in coping with the problems of ethics and values of all kinds in present-day society. Thus, the discussion introduces the main branches of philosophy and deals with many of the current moral dilemmas in medicine and social work.

Applying values and ethics to social work practice is taught widely across the qualifying degree programme, on both Masters and BA courses. This book is a clear introduction to this subject and will help students develop their understanding by showing social work students how ethics can have positive impacts on the lives of vulnerable people. There are chapters on how social workers can make good ethical and value-based decisions when working with risk, and how the role of the social worker as professional can impact on service users. Above all the book is a timely and clear introduction to the subject, with an emphasis on advocacy and empowerment and how the beginning social worker can start to apply these concepts.

This innovative book applies contemporary and emergent theories of identity formation to timely questions of identity re/formation and development in immigrant families across diverse ethnicities and age groups. Researchers from across the globe examine the ways in which immigrants from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America dynamically adjust, adapt, and resist aspects of their identities in their host countries as a form of resilience. The book provides a multidisciplinary approach to studying the multidimensional complexities of identity development and immigration and offers critical insights on the experiences of immigrant families. Key areas of coverage include: Factors that affect identity formation, readjustment, and maintenance, including individual differences and social environments. Influences of intersecting immigrant ecologies such as family, community, and complex multidimensions of culture on identity development. Current identity theories and their effectiveness at addressing issues of ethnicity, culture, and immigration. Research challenges to studying various forms of identity. Re/Formation and Identity: The Intersectionality of Development, Culture, and Immigration is an essential resource for researchers, professors, and graduate students as well as clinicians, professionals, and policymakers in the fields of developmental, social, and cross-cultural psychology, parenting and family studies, social work, and all interrelated disciplines.

Youth violence is a persisting social problem. National and global campaigns and interventions have sought to influence young people's behaviour and attitudes, yet rates of youth violence have not decreased significantly. Preventing Youth Violence: Rethinking the Role of Gender in Schools argues that young people's perspectives should inform future work on violence prevention and that particular attention should be given to how they relate to different forms of violence and also to the role of gender. This will enable future prevention work to be more targeted and to acknowledge teenagers' varying understandings of violence. The book indicates that British teenagers consider some forms of violence to be acceptable, understandable and even deserved, and that violence is not always viewed as problematic. It explores the reasons underlying these views on violence and considers how this knowledge can be used in prevention work in schools.

Originally published in 1987 and now re-issued with a new preface, this book examines attempts by successive individuals and governments to overcome slum conditions and homelessness, to reform landlord-tenant relations and to provide sound modern dwellings with full amenities for those who need them. Its focus is on how those responsible for public housing concentrated their energies on buildings rather than management, on property rather than people, in sharp distinction to the women who played such an innovative and humanizing role in the early days of housing reform. Efforts to resolve public housing problems are examined in a study of twenty housing estates, and of the initiatives that local authorities have taken to reverse the sometimes overwhelming decay.

Originally published in 1994, this book provides an important contribution to contemporary housing debates as well as clear examples of the use of qualitative data in causal analysis. Based on 3 original Australian case studies and a range of international data, this book demonstrates that the interests and meanings of home ownership can lead home owners into radical courses of social action that oppose the status quo, despite national governments having sponsored a remarkable growth in home ownership to promote a loyal citizenship and political stability.

The only comprehensive book on racism for human service students and professionals; this book addresses all forms of racism from an historical, theoretical, institutional, interpersonal and professional perspective. This text discusses how racism can be dealt with in clinical, communal and organizational contexts. The third edition encompasses a wealth of vital new scholarship on the perpetually changing contours of racism and strategies to confront it. Fulfilling NASW and CSWE cultural competency requirements, this book teaches socially-just practices to helping professionals from any discipline.Using coloniality and other critical theories as a conceptual framework, the text analyzes all levels of racism: structural, personal, interpersonal, professional, and cultural. It features the contributions of a new team of authors and scholars; new conceptual and theoretical material; a new chapter on immigration racism and updated content to reflect how racism and white supremacy are manifested today; and new content on the impact of racism on economics, technology, and environmental degradation; expanded sections on slavery; current political manifestations of racism and much more. The new edition provides in-depth multilevel complex exploration and includes varied perspectives that will be meaningful for anyone involved in human services. Readers appreciate the book's sensitive, complex and multidimensional approach to this difficult topic. Purchase includes digital access for use on most mobile devices or computers. New to the Third Edition: Integrates the perspectives and insights of two new expert authors. Includes a new chapter on the root causes for the increased flow of migrants, displaced people, and refugees and the impact of racism on their lives; and discusses the rise of fascism and white supremacy along with the confluence of racism and COVID-19. Includes a new model of dialogue, "Critical Conversations," which offers a roadmap for facilitating productive conversations on race and racism. Presents updated coverage of the killings of young people of color by law enforcement. Offers a detailed examination of the Trump era and the impact of Obama presidency on the dynamics of racism. Provides practical applications which include exercises that explore social group and intersectional identities, stereotypes, microaggressions, organizational audits, and structural oppression. Key Features: Addresses how racism is part of the DNA of human services organizations and provides strategies for facilitating change Explains how professionals can resist racism and serve as anti-racism activists Provides practical applications and exercises in each chapter Includes instructor's manual, links to relevant podcasts and additional resources, and PowerPoint outlines for each chapter

This book examines the phenomenon of Community Justice Centres and their potential to transform the justice landscape by tackling the underlying causes of crime. Marred by recidivism, addiction, family violence, overflowing courtrooms, crippling prison spending and extreme rates of incarceration, the criminal justice system is in crisis. Community Justice Centres seek to combat this by tackling the underlying causes of crime in a particular neighbourhood and working with local people to redesign the experience of justice and enhance the notion of community. A Community Justice Centre houses a court which works with an interdisciplinary team to address the causes of criminality such as drug addiction, cognitive impairment, mental illness, poverty, abuse and intergenerational trauma. The community thus becomes a key agent of change, partnering with the Centre to tackle local issues and improve safety and community cohesion. This book, based on research into this innovative justice model, examines case studies from around the world, the challenges presented by the model and the potential for bringing its learnings into the mainstream. This book will appeal to academics in law and criminology as well as psychology; it will also be of considerable interest to people working in the criminal justice system, including the police, government policy advisers, psychologists and social workers.

This book looks at a sample of female drug addicts seeking recovery in Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Through working the Twelve Steps and by attending women-only groups, these women are able to confront the double standard that makes recovery from addiction especially difficult.

The Millennium ushered in renewed interest and investment in global health, in part because of concerns that globalization would intensify the risks of ill-health. But are we taking advantage of emerging opportunities? This book shines a light on the central actors, institutions and mechanisms involved and proposes an agenda for meaningful action.

This book investigates the ways in which young people engage with and contribute to civil society, community development, and local peacebuilding in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Youth engagement and contribution to civil society and local peacebuilding can play a crucial role in development; however, there is often a lack of effective engagement, policies, and opportunities for young people in policy and practice. This book analyses their experiences of civic engagement and community participation and the challenges they face, across diverse areas including youth empowerment, freedom of expression, mobilization, ideologies, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding. Drawing on cases from Yemen, Syria, Iran, Morocco and the Palestinian Territories, this book offers new insights on how youth not only are shaped by, but also react to policies, conflict, constraints, and challenges. The insights drawn from this interdisciplinary collection will be of interest to researchers of civil society, youth, peacebuilding, and development, as well as to policymakers, donors, and NGO staff.

Provides an up to date overview of social cognition deficits in clinical populations. Describes how social cognition manifests across a range of neurodevelopmental and acquired conditions, across the lifespan Summarizes how social cognition is assessed and measured Reviews the current status of research on intervention to prevent or remediate poor social outcomes

Originally published in 1981, in Old Age Homes Roger Clough presents a vivid description of the lives and work of residents and staff in an old people's home. His powerful analysis of the realities of residential work would make a major contribution to improved practice, to social work training, and to social policy formation. Many people, including some social work professionals, still felt that the very existence of residential homes illustrated a failure of society, and that living with their own family or on their own was invariably a more satisfactory experience for old people. Roger Clough questions this assumption. He argues that homes are needed and if they are to be good places in which to live and die there must be a clearer understanding of the interactions that take place within them. The descriptive parts of the study, based on detailed observation and lengthy interviews, strongly reflect the author's genuine compassion and warmth for old people. His most illuminating perceptions are presented from the perspective of the old people themselves, many of whom were conscious of the double-bind in which residents and staff are caught: there is a prevailing belief that it is best to keep active in old age, yet many of the elderly had little they though worth doing, while the staff saw their role as doing whatever they could for the residents. Roger Clough uses his material to test two central hypotheses: first that there is a linkage between the attitudes to aging held by staff and the degree of control over their own lives exercised by residents; and secondly that this degree of control is strongly correlated with resident satisfaction. Through an acute analysis of these key variables, he demonstrates the circumstances in which living in a home can be, for certain old people at certain times, the way of life they themselves would choose. His conclusions are of the greatest importance for social work practice and for the changing of staff attitudes in training. Old Age Homes would challenge anybody who knows or works with a resident in an old people's home. But it would be of outstanding value for the managers, practitioners, trainers and students to whom it was primarily addressed at the time.

Despite extensive changes in the organisation of social and psychiatric services, there had been no study of mental health social work in the UK since the early 1960s. There was, however, no shortage of 'received wisdom' about the perceived failure of social work to provide a service to the mentally disordered. Originally published in 1984, it was to provide some basic information about the practice of social work in this field that the study was conducted on which Mental Health Social Work Observed is based. The authors looked at both long-term work and emergency work in which the use of compulsory powers was requested. In addition to the views of social workers, the opinions of psychiatrists, family practitioners and of the clients themselves were sought in order to gain a full picture of social work in practice. Through their thorough immersion in the field of study and through their experience of social work and of mental health issues, the authors were able to provide a sympathetic and lucid account of the difficulties of mental health social work and of the thorny issue of interprofessional relationships which will ring true to the practitioner. They produced recommendations relevant to social work practice at the time and this book would be found useful to social workers and their managers, to psychiatrists, family practitioners, psychiatric nurses and clinical psychologists. Of particular relevance to the then current changes in the role of the social worker under the new mental health legislation is the authors' study of mental health emergency work, culminating in a recommended code of practice.

Since the late 1960s, community work had emerged in its own right as an occupation with an increasingly important contribution to make both to ways of thinking within the field of social policy, and to day-to-day social work practice and the resolution of pressing community issues. Its practitioners had grown in numbers and experience, while community work ideas and methods continued to influence developments in a variety of other 'neighbouring' occupations. Originally published in 1980, the editors of this NISW collection suggest that if community workers are to remain effective, then they must stay on the boundaries of the agencies that employ them and of the groups with whom they work. This theme of the 'boundary nature' of community work is examined in detail in the Introduction and is subsequently taken up by the other contributors to the book. This title is organised under three main headings - a survey section on the history, philosophy and theories of community work in the United Kingdom; a series of case studies that suggest the diversity of the interests of community work; and an analysis of the growth of community work as an occupation and the spread of its influence through related professions and disciplines. This mix of theory, practice and analysis made the book of special importance both to practising community workers and to community work teachers and students at the time. In addition, the book would have been of direct interest to community oriented administrators, professionals, teachers and students in other human service fields such as health, education, housing, planning and the personal social services, as well as to elected members and administrators in central and local government more generally. It will now be welcomed by anyone who seeks a critical account of the historical activities of community work, written by experienced practitioners and teachers.

The growth of interest in community work during the seventies was very marked. But while much had been written on the actual practice of community work, there was for too long a lack of British material on the vital subjects of useful theory, training and the development of skills. In this title, originally published in 1977, the authors brought together for the National Institute for Social Work experienced teachers and practitioners of community work in an integrated and carefully structured textbook which would further understanding of the means through which community workers develop their knowledge and skills; it would be widely welcomed by all those involved in aspects of community work - as teachers, students, practitioners, supervisors and as local authority training officers. The first part of the book has four chapters on the principle means through which community workers develop their skills within their employing agencies. Part two deals with theories and the contribution made to community work by the social sciences, group work, research methods and management and planning studies. The last part of the book contains three papers which examine the major problems and issues in the placement, learning experiences and assessment of students on field work.

Originally published in 1971, volunteers in the social services were being asked to undertake increasingly demanding and responsible work, particularly in the field of prison after-care. Effective professional leadership and support were therefore essential. Hugh Barr's report describes a pilot project in London in which he tried to build effective partnership between professionals and volunteers, and between statutory and voluntary agencies. It is a report that was immediately relevant in the field of probation and after-care at the time and had implications in general for the future of the personal social services. Separate chapters discuss recruitment, motivation, preparation, selection and supervision of the volunteers; illustrations of their work are included and an attempt is made to evaluate the results of the project. The book ends with a study of the implications for future projects and of the ever-widening scope for the volunteer, who will use his leisure to match society's need. 'This is a man writing about something he has a hand in creating' (from the Foreword).

The lack of good statistical information had been a major factor in the poor planning of services for the mentally handicapped in the late 1960s. The principal object of this book was to provide an accurate factual basis for the planning of future services. Originally published in 1972, this title is based on three years' extensive research and consists primarily of statistical studies rather than case studies. There is a survey of facilities provided by hospitals for the mentally handicapped and a sample survey of three Hospital Regions indicating the characteristics and disabilities of the mentally handicapped inpatients. Also included are two cohort studies, one of the subsequent experience of patients after their first admittance to a hospital, and one of the subsequent experience of all first referrals to a Local Authority service. Both studies were carried out to determine trends in the patterns of care. This was the first time that cohort techniques had been applied in this field in this country. Since effective long-term planning depends upon the coordination of the work of Local Authorities and hospitals, it is unrealistic to divorce the need for hospital beds from community provision. This book, therefore, examined the present services for the mentally handicapped in the round. It is supplemented by an extensive bibliography and numerous tables and diagrams. As a result, it should be of particular interest to psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, hospital administrators, senior nursing staff and Local Authority social service administrators. This book is a re-issue originally published in 1972. The language used is reflective of its era and no offence is meant by the Publishers to any reader by this re-publication.

During the 1960s there had been much discussion about the plight of the unmarried mother and her child; but very little of it had been based on fact. At the time Mother and Baby Homes catered for between 11,000 and 12,000 unmarried mothers each year, out of a total of 70,000; but there was hardly one generalisation that would be applicable to all the Homes. Some were run by voluntary organisations, some by local authorities and some by religious groups. While some still retained the punitive attitude, others set themselves with much kindness to help the women - some of them mere schoolgirls, to face the difficulties of their position and to plan constructively for their own future and that of their babies. Originally published in 1968, this book gives the facts but, even more, it gives the feelings and ideas of those most concerned - the mothers-to-be and those who care for them. This is a careful and sensitive study. It was unique in putting on record for the first time the views of unmarried mothers themselves about the care they received. Everybody who is interested in the history of the health and welfare of the unmarried mother in residential care should read this book.

Group work is central to social work, whether it be work with individuals and families, residential care, community work, management or social work education. Despite, however, the upsurge of interest in this aspect of social work method at the time Group Work: Learning and Practice, originally published in 1978, represented the first attempt at providing an up-to-date and carefully integrated source book for students - in the form of a series of mainly original and British papers on social group work: its knowledge base; the possible varieties of practice settings and objectives; and its implications for social work education and training models. For new directions in social work education suggested that the small group was to become the core system around which much future social work teaching would be based. The main concern of this new National Institute for Social Work reader - the development and demonstration of intervention skills in practice - would be particularly relevant. The book draws attention to the opportunities for work with groups in the community, in residential institutions and with families, where the emphasis was rapidly shifting towards the need for greater understanding and use of the small group dimension. Group Work: Learning and Practice would have been widely welcomed both by specialists in group work at the time and all those more generally interested in social work methods - as teachers, students, practitioners, supervisors and as local authority training officers. It would also be of interest to a wider readership of teachers, youth workers and those concerned with the group dynamics and counselling fields.

The main topics of the book are learning disabilities, trauma, resilience and coping with stress, and violence, peace building and disaster management. The authors of the book articles are from Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Iran, Ethiopia, Morrocco, Portugal and Germany. The interdisciplinary character of this book is represented in contributions of scientists from different areas of Psychology, Special Education and Sociology.

This unique textbook enables social work practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of how Islamic principles inform and influence the lives of Muslim populations. Designed to support work with families and faith communities, this completely revised and updated edition examines religious precepts, cosmologies, philosophies and daily practices, while acknowledging cultural variants and population heterogeneity. It includes a comprehensive update of the research literature, international case studies, and new sections on religious extremism and ageing and end-of-life. This is the only book specifically on social work with Muslim communities and provides an essential toolkit for culturally sensitive social work practice.

The Milltown Boys at Sixty is a story like no other, giving both an insider and an outsider view of the 'Milltown Boys', exploring the nature of an ethnographic relationship based on research about their experiences of the criminal justice system. A group classically labelled as delinquents, drug-takers and drop-outs, the Boys were also, in many different ways, fathers, friends and family men, differentially immersed in the labour market, in very different family relationships and now very differently connected to criminal activity. Williamson has written books capturing their experiences over the fifty years of his continued association with them: about their teenage years; and twenty years later, in middle-age. This book is about them as they pass the age of 60, providing a personal account of the relationship between Williamson and the Boys, and the distinctive - perhaps even controversial - research methodology that enabled the mapping of their lives. It provides a unique and detailed insight into the ways in which the lives of the Milltown Boys that started with such shared beginnings have unfolded in so many diverse and fascinating ways. These accounts will be of interest to the lay reader curious about the way others have managed (or failed to manage) their lives, the professional who works with those living, often struggling, on the wrong side of the tracks, and the academic researching and teaching about social exclusion, substance misuse, criminal justice transitions and the life course.