Hospital Social Work introduces the reader to the world of medicine and social work as seen through the eyes of actual social workers. An essential reference for both students and professionals. Over 100 social workers in dozens of hospitals were interviewed to provide the reader with first-hand experiences and discussions of practice principles, policy considerations, and theoretical treatments to provide each chapter with a unique blend of theory and practice. Joan Beder, a professor of social work and a practicing social worker, recently noted an apparent lack of empirical discussion of the actual role and day-to-day functioning of the medical social worker. Hospital Social Work is the result, a unique supplemental text for both studying and practicing medical social workers.

The field of medical social work is an area of social work that many students find appealing, as it presents them with an opportunity to experience a wide range of situations, patients, and challenges within a concentrated time and location. And while many schools of social work offer a variety of courses on health care issues, hospital work, and social work in health care settings, most of the literature in the field has focused on either the political, economic and social issues involved in the work, or alternatively on the how-to aspects of the field. Joan Beder, a Brunner-Routledge author who has enjoyed success in both academia and clinical practice, recently noted an apparent lack of empirical discussion of the actual - as opposed to the theoretical, idealized - role and real day-to-day functioning of the medical social worker. Through her own work in medical settings and her classroom experience with texts, the author has seen a need for a unique supplemental text that would also be of use to practicing medical social workers.
The result is this proposed book, which begins by detailing the history of the field in the US and abroad, and brings the reader up-to-date through the impacts of managed care and recent hospital reforms. Chapters will focus on social work in specific units of health care, such as the burn unit, dialysis unit, pediatric AIDS unit, hospice, surgical unit, and oncology unit. The bulk of the text will be centered on a series of interviews of practicing social workers in these different areas, based on a standard set of questions and given by the author. The author intends to interview social workers from both urban and rural settings, as well as hospitalsand institutions of differing sizes and coverage areas. The responses to these survey questions will be collated and discussed within each chapter, so that large issues can be addressed, while specific advice and information relevant to work within the smaller units will be easily accessible to the reader. These "voices" from people in the field will orient the reader with first-hand experiences, while discussions of practice principles, policy considerations, and theoretical treatments will provide each chapter with a unique blend of theory and practice. Medical social work is a field with international applications, and while significant differences between national health care systems exist, a unique text such as this should have world-wide appeal.

Voices of Bereavement presents counselors with specific, sometimes unusual bereavement situations and their subsequent treatment.

Joan Beder blends theoretical content with suggestions for intervention, helping the reader appreciate how theory informs practice. In addition, a section on counselor struggles focuses on what feelings were provoked in the counselor during each case and how these feelings were managed.

"Voices of Bereavement" presents counselors with specific, sometimes unusual bereavement situations and their subsequent treatment. Joan Beder blends theoretical content with suggestions for intervention, helping the reader appreciate how theory informs practice. In addition, a section on counselor struggles focuses on what feelings were provoked in the counselor during each case and how these feelings were managed.

With the United States' involvement in numerous combat operations overseas, the need for civilian social workers with the clinical skills necessary to work with members of the military returning from combat, as well as their families, has never been more critical. In this practical and important book, each chapter is written by specialists in a particular area devoted to the care of service members and includes case material to demonstrate assessment and intervention approaches. The reader is introduced to the world of the military and the subsequent development of mental health services for returning men and women. Chapters look at special populations of service members with specific needs based directly on their experience in the military, discussing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, sexual harassment and assault during their service, and the physiology of the war zone experience. The challenges faced by reintegrating service men and women are explored in detail and include family issues, suicide, and substance use disorders. A section on services available to returning service members looks at those offered by the Veterans Administration and at the use of animal-assisted interventions. The book concludes with a section devoted to unique concerns for the practitioner and explores ethical concerns they may face and their own needs as clinicians working with this population.

With the United States' involvement in numerous combat operations overseas, the need for civilian social workers with the clinical skills necessary to work with members of the military returning from combat, as well as their families, has never been more critical. In this practical and important book, each chapter is written by specialists in a particular area devoted to the care of service members and includes case material to demonstrate assessment and intervention approaches. The reader is introduced to the world of the military and the subsequent development of mental health services for returning men and women. Chapters look at special populations of service members with specific needs based directly on their experience in the military, discussing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, sexual harassment and assault during their service, and the physiology of the war zone experience. The challenges faced by reintegrating service men and women are explored in detail and include family issues, suicide, and substance use disorders. A section on services available to returning service members looks at those offered by the Veterans Administration and at the use of animal-assisted interventions. The book concludes with a section devoted to unique concerns for the practitioner and explores ethical concerns they may face and their own needs as clinicians working with this population.

With overseas deployment scaling down in recent years, helping professionals need practical tools for working with servicemen and women returning from deployment. Caring for the Military, with its case studies and clinical discussions, is indispensable for social workers and other helping professionals working with these populations. Leading experts contribute chapters on the challenges faced by reintegrating members of the military, including returning to a family, entering the workforce, and caring for those with PTSD, TBI, and moral injury. This text also features unique chapters on telemental health, multidisciplinary settings, and caregiver resiliency.