Gun violence occurs in urban areas more than it does anywhere else, and youth of color in these areas are disproportionately impacted in the United States. How can we approach this? What can we do to stop this from happening in the first place? In addition to trying to bolster the barriers one must cross to acquire a gun, we must also focus on the communities struggling with this abuse. In this book, Melvin Delgado approaches this nationwide issue with a specific focus on the victims: detailing the primary issues surrounding gun violence, what social workers can do about it, and why it is critical for those in the field to get involved. Delgado identifies the current strategies used by social workers, providing professionals with the tools necessary to identify key problems before they escalate enough to lead to violence. He also discusses ways to reshape the education social workers receive to make sure they keep these racial injustices in mind in their approaches. Self-help organizations can intervene and potentially reduce the number of gun-related deaths that occur in cities nationwide, but we too often do not look to them after a shooting. Urban Gun Violence presents opportunities for improvement based on the work done by urban self-help organizations in the past. Building off of these organizations from across the US-from Louis D. Brown Peace Institution in Boston to the Community Justice Reform Coalition in San Francisco-Delgado illustrates how social workers can advocate for minority communities impacted by this lethal weapon. With chapters spanning everything from how people obtain guns-legally and illegally-to lessons from the field, the book outlines the path toward successful intervention.

The past decade brought forth a wave of excitement and promise for researchers and practitioners interested in community practice as an approach based on social justice principles and an embrace of community participatory actions. But, effective community practice is predicated on the availability and use of assessment methods that not only capture and report on conditions, but also simultaneously set the stage for social change efforts. This research, therefore, serves the dual purpose of generating knowledge and also being an integral part of social intervention. Research done in this way, however, requires new tools. Photovoice is one such tool - a form of visual ethnography that invites participants to represent their community or point of view through photographs, accompanied by narratives, to be shared with each other and with a broader community. Urban Youth and Photovoice focuses on the use of this method within urban settings and among adolescents and young adults - a group that is almost naturally drawn to the use of photography (especially digital and particularly in today's era of texting, facebook, and instagram) to showcase photovoice as an important qualitative research method for social workers and others in the social sciences, and providing readers with detailed theoretical and practical account of how to plan, implement, and evaluate the results of a photovoice project focused on urban youth.

The performing arts is one particular area of youth community practice can that can be effectively tapped to attract youth within schools and out-of-school settings, or what has been referred to as the "third area between school and family." These settings are non-stigmatizing, highly attractive community-based venues that serve youth and their respective communities. They can supplement or enhance formal education, providing a counter-narrative for youth to resist the labels placed on them by serving as a vehicle for reactivity and self-expression. Furthermore, the performing arts are a mechanism through which creative expression can transpire while concomitantly engaging youth in creative expression that is transformative at the individual and community level. Music, Song, Dance, Theater, and Social Work explores the innovative programs and interventions in youth community practice that draw on the performing arts as a way to reach and engage the target populations. The book draws from the rich literature bases in community development and positive youth development, as well as from performing arts therapy and group interventions, offering a meeting point where innovative programs have emerged. All in all, the text is an invaluable resource for graduate social work and performing arts students, practitioners, and scholars.

While crime is down around the country, many inner city youth continue to die as a result of violence, drugs, AIDS, and other causes. In response to the deaths of its young members, many urban communities paint memorial murals to pay homage to the deceased and express the grief of an entire community. Here, Delgado explores the use of memorial murals for counseling the bereaved friends and family members of urban youth whose lives were cut short. He proposes that employing such approaches can help a community address the problems inherent in their societies while remembering and celebrating the lives of their most vulnerable members. Delgado begins by reviewing the key concepts and practice principles that are essential in any form of urban community social work practice. He details the incidence and nature of the phenomena of death at an early age, and describes the cultural aspects of grief and bereavement in general and as they pertain to the urban communities he observes. Throughout his discussion of the use of memorial murals in social work practice, he provides case studies about real communities and the ways in which they have used the murals to work through the grieving process. The book concludes with a framework and theoretical model for social workers who work with urban populations. This unique work addresses a common urban issue in the context of healing and outreach in a way that will especially appeal to social workers, community leaders and organizations, psychologists, urban sociologists, and students and scholars interested in the ways people deal with death and dying.

There is no denying that friendship, however narrow or broad the definition, is dynamic and highly responsive to socio-cultural and environmental factors. Urban Youth Friendships and Community Practice highlights the greater importance of friendships in circumstances where youth have been marginalized and have limited access to instrumental resources that restrict geographical mobility or curtail their movement to limited public spaces (in which they are validated, and even liked or admired). Youth friendships are not limited to peer-networks; they can cross other social divides and involve adults of all ages. Indeed, community practice and asset assessment approaches are increasingly focusing on the relevance of strong peer relationships and networks as strengths upon which to build. Friendships, therefore, are a community asset and as such could be included as a key aspect of community asset assessments and interventions. Community organizations, schools, religious institutions, and other less-formal groups provide practitioners with ample opportunities to foster urban youth friendships. This book seeks to accomplish four goals: (1) provide a state of knowledge on the definition, role, and importance of friendships in general and specifically on urban youth of color (African-American, Asia and Latinos); (2) draw implications for community practice scholarship and practice; (3) illustrate how friendships can be a focus of a community capacity enhancement assets paradigm through the use of case illustrations; and (4) provide a series of recommendations for how urban friendships can be addressed in graduate level social work curriculum but with implications for other helping professions. Urban Youth Friendships and Community Practice is a must-have for community practitioners, whether their focus be social work, recreation, education, planning, or out-of-school programming.

Through participatory strategies, the proposed book seeks to tap into community spirit to convert urban blight to sites of urban pride and in the process reduce gun violence.The past decade witnessed increased practice and scholarship focused on urban open and green spaces across the country, which are often uplifted as having a multitude of social, psychological, health, and economic benefits for residents. These spaces have often emerged from vacant lots and distressed properties that have been torn down because of the safety hazards they present. A review of the literature on vacant lot effect on health found they influence a wide-range of conditions, including attracting gun violence (Sivak, Pearson, & Hurlburt, 2021). Enhancing green spaces, such as parks and gardens, where they exist, or introducing them where they do not through conversion of lots, has taken center stage in urban communities of color as a means of addressing a range of social problems, including reducing various forms of violence (Peréa et al., 2019). In instances where vacant lots are converted to green spaces, the benefits can be significant. Urban green space environments promote trust, democratic principles, and resiliency (Hoffman, 2019). This goal, as a result, is worthy of attention for urban-focused researchers, practitioners, and academics. This book seeks to accomplish six goals: (1) present a state of the art picture of vacant lot and distressed properties conversion; (2) use of case illustrations to concretize values and practice techniques; (3) identify the rewards and challenges of undertaking this form of practice on urban gun violence; (4) identify specific values and principles undergirding urban practice and vacant lots; (5) provide readers with a grounding on the major strategies for reducing urban gun violence to serve as a backdrop for vacant lot conversion; and (6) identify a series of research and practice principles that can guide gun violence reduction interventions.

Through participatory strategies, the proposed book seeks to tap into community spirit to convert urban blight to sites of urban pride and in the process reduce gun violence.The past decade witnessed increased practice and scholarship focused on urban open and green spaces across the country, which are often uplifted as having a multitude of social, psychological, health, and economic benefits for residents. These spaces have often emerged from vacant lots and distressed properties that have been torn down because of the safety hazards they present. A review of the literature on vacant lot effect on health found they influence a wide-range of conditions, including attracting gun violence (Sivak, Pearson, & Hurlburt, 2021). Enhancing green spaces, such as parks and gardens, where they exist, or introducing them where they do not through conversion of lots, has taken center stage in urban communities of color as a means of addressing a range of social problems, including reducing various forms of violence (Peréa et al., 2019). In instances where vacant lots are converted to green spaces, the benefits can be significant. Urban green space environments promote trust, democratic principles, and resiliency (Hoffman, 2019). This goal, as a result, is worthy of attention for urban-focused researchers, practitioners, and academics. This book seeks to accomplish six goals: (1) present a state of the art picture of vacant lot and distressed properties conversion; (2) use of case illustrations to concretize values and practice techniques; (3) identify the rewards and challenges of undertaking this form of practice on urban gun violence; (4) identify specific values and principles undergirding urban practice and vacant lots; (5) provide readers with a grounding on the major strategies for reducing urban gun violence to serve as a backdrop for vacant lot conversion; and (6) identify a series of research and practice principles that can guide gun violence reduction interventions.

The one-of-a-kind exploration of effective alcohol prevention and treatment for Latinos-now and for the future! By the year 2020, the Latino population in the United States will increase to 60 million, making up 18 percent of all residents. Latinos and Alcohol Use/Abuse Revisited: Advances and Challenges for Prevention and Treatment Programs brings into sharp focus how present and future demographic shifts in Latino population are being felt in alcohol programs across the United States. Case studies and in-depth research clearly illustrate the practical steps various culturally competent programs recommend to effectively deal with alcohol use, prevention, and treatment for Latinos. Alcohol abuse, though rampant in Latino populations, has not received the attention that other types of drug abuse has received, even though the death rates, health problems, and financial costs from alcohol are staggering. Latinos and Alcohol Use/Abuse Revisited presents respected authorities tackling the tough questions about demographics, culturally competent research, and effective prevention and treatment programs. The book provides an up-to-date socio-demographic foundation, then builds upon current research and information to present a clear picture of the needs of various Latino populations for alcohol abuse programs now and in the future. Latinos and Alcohol Use/Abuse Revisited discusses: the Latino demographic profilean overview patterns of need and treatment among Mexican-origin adults in central California alcohol abuse among Dominican-Americans the onset of alcohol and other drug use among gang members incarcerated Latinas, alcohol, and other drug abuse rural Latino grandparents raising grandchildren of substance abusing parents alcohol use among Puerto Rican active injecting drug users alcohol and other drug abuse prevention for high-risk youth a case study of a Puerto Rican community in Massachusetts detailed recommendations for prevention and treatment Latinos and Alcohol Use/Abuse Revisited is a detailed examination of prevention and treatment programs for Latinos, invaluable for substance abuse professionals, social workers, practitioners, and professionals in charge of alcohol prevention and treatment programs.

Community social work practice based on a capacity enhancement model offers tremendous potential for unifying communities consisting of groups from very different cultural backgrounds, and in the process of doing so, make physical changes in the community. Community Social Work Practice in AnUrban Context aims to teach graduate students with an emphasis on community and urban social work how to create positive community environments in marginalized urban-based communities. The use of murals, gardens, playgrounds, and sculptures, f or example provide social workers with an opportunity to identify, engage, and plan services with communities. These projects, in turn, are based upon a community's strengths and represent an effort at developing a community's capacity to help itself with assistance from professionals.

In Alcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos: Issues and Examples of Culturally Competent Services, you will learn how to design and improve services for Latinos with substance abuse problems by understanding that the cultures and personal backgrounds of your clients are crucial to the counseling process. This text will also show you how these service skills apply to the individual, family, or an entire community. Studies show that, according to patients, culturally sensitive and responsive practitioners are generally more credible, trusted, and effective. Alcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos takes into account several different aspects that will help you develop these traits and provide successful services for Latinos dealing with alcohol or other drug problems. You'll gain valuable insight into: the five elements that are vital to a successful ATOD (Alcohol, tobacco and Other Drug) service--multiculturism, resilience/strengths, competence, community capacity development, and community participation--plus a detailed explanation of why they are needed step-by-step instructions for using three methods, supervision, inservice training, and consultation, as means of providing ongoing learning of cross-cultural competencies to practitioners why key factors such as economic background, gender, and sexual orientation need to be taken into consideration for ATOD services to be effective demographic patterns and case studies of Latino users and abusers of alcohol and other drugs that illustrate the growing number of Latinos in need of ATOD services why the practitioner needs to be aware of how family importance, values attached to cooperation versus competition, sociability, respect, and action-oriented problem-solving play a role in effective services for Latinos the need for practitioners to understand how ethnic identity, biculturality, Spanish language fluency, gender-specific role expectations, skin color, and overall sense of self can affect the success of services for Latino teenagers how excessive marketing of alcohol to Latino communities, lack of representation, and a lack of community involvement are key barriers to successful ATOD services for LatinosAlcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos also discusses Latino mens'and womens'individual needs concerning substance abuse. One of the topics addressed, the loss of self-esteem, has been found to be a contributing factor to alcohol use and abuse for Latinas. It offers ways you can promote self-esteem in your Latina clients by focusing on their cultural heritage and pride. In addition, this text takes a unique look Latina lesbians and how training through educational and agency internship programs can promote awareness to your clients' special needs concerning substance abuse. Alcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos will help you provide all of your Latino clients with efficient and culture-friendly services for resisting or overcoming the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

In Alcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos: Issues and Examples of Culturally Competent Services, you will learn how to design and improve services for Latinos with substance abuse problems by understanding that the cultures and personal backgrounds of your clients are crucial to the counseling process. This text will also show you how these service skills apply to the individual, family, or an entire community. Studies show that, according to patients, culturally sensitive and responsive practitioners are generally more credible, trusted, and effective. Alcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos takes into account several different aspects that will help you develop these traits and provide successful services for Latinos dealing with alcohol or other drug problems. You'll gain valuable insight into: the five elements that are vital to a successful ATOD (Alcohol, tobacco and Other Drug) service--multiculturism, resilience/strengths, competence, community capacity development, and community participation--plus a detailed explanation of why they are needed step-by-step instructions for using three methods, supervision, inservice training, and consultation, as means of providing ongoing learning of cross-cultural competencies to practitioners why key factors such as economic background, gender, and sexual orientation need to be taken into consideration for ATOD services to be effective demographic patterns and case studies of Latino users and abusers of alcohol and other drugs that illustrate the growing number of Latinos in need of ATOD services why the practitioner needs to be aware of how family importance, values attached to cooperation versus competition, sociability, respect, and action-oriented problem-solving play a role in effective services for Latinos the need for practitioners to understand how ethnic identity, biculturality, Spanish language fluency, gender-specific role expectations, skin color, and overall sense of self can affect the success of services for Latino teenagers how excessive marketing of alcohol to Latino communities, lack of representation, and a lack of community involvement are key barriers to successful ATOD services for LatinosAlcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos also discusses Latino mens'and womens'individual needs concerning substance abuse. One of the topics addressed, the loss of self-esteem, has been found to be a contributing factor to alcohol use and abuse for Latinas. It offers ways you can promote self-esteem in your Latina clients by focusing on their cultural heritage and pride. In addition, this text takes a unique look Latina lesbians and how training through educational and agency internship programs can promote awareness to your clients' special needs concerning substance abuse. Alcohol Use/Abuse Among Latinos will help you provide all of your Latino clients with efficient and culture-friendly services for resisting or overcoming the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.

Youth-led research is increasing in popularity around the globe and empowers today's youth to help shape social interventions seeking to reach this population group. Designs and Methods for Youth-Led Research provides a foundation from which to plan and implement social research and program evaluation projects that place youth in central roles. In this text, author Melvin Delgado emphasizes how youth-led research represents a profound political and social statement about making relevant research result in significant changes to programs in the field of youth services. Key Features: Brings together the worlds of practice and academia by providing numerous examples of field-based youth-led research projects Encourages a partnership between youth and adults to facilitate mutual respect and give young people the opportunity to make significant and lasting contributions to the creation of solutions to many of their concerns and needs Examines future challenges in the field to help develop programs that will enrich tomorrow's youth Designs and Methods for Youth-Led Research is an excellent textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying youth development in a variety of Social Work, Psychology, Education, and Social Research courses. It is also a valuable resource for practitioners in the fields of youth development and youth services.

The term "sanctuary city" gained a new level of national recognition during the 2016 United States presidential election, and immigration policies and debates have remained a top issue since the election of Donald Trump. The battle over immigration and deportation will be waged on many fronts in the coming years, but sanctuary cities - municipalities that resist the national governments efforts to enforce immigration laws - are likely to be on the front lines for the immediate future, and social workers and others in the helping professions have vital roles to play. In this book, Melvin Delgado offers a compelling case for the centrality of sanctuary cities' cause to the very mission and professional identity of social workers and others in the human services and mental health professions. The text also presents a historical perspective on the rise of the sanctuary movements of the 1970s and 2000s, thereby giving context to the current environment and immigration debate. Sanctuary Cities, Communities, and Organizations serves as a helpful resource for human service practitioners, academics, and the general public alike.

Gun injuries are a social and public health phenomenon that has profound consequences on victims, their social network, and neighborhood. Deaths resulting from gun violence represent just one piece of this puzzle while injuries (visible and invisible) make up a considerable other part. Solving such a large and multi-faceted public health issue is an arduous task. The Silent Epidemic of Gun Injuries explains the effects of injuries from gun violence in the United States. Through case studies and statistics, Melvin Delgado explores the physical and emotional effects of gun injuries as well as their social, cultural, and economic impact on communities. Further, he explains how communities and social work professionals can respond to the epidemic of gun injuries.

In an era of dimishing resources, communities which have historically been served by professionals in established social service settings can no longer rely on outside assistance to meet their needs. Social Work Practice in Non-Traditional Urban Settings suggests that many of these communities can be best served through their own, already-established recreational, social, and cultural centers, and shows how professional social workers can use these non-traditional settings - bars, beauty shops, and bathhouses - to reach out to the communities they are trying to help. This allows social work service to be based on the community's own strengths, and develops the community's capacity to help itself with assistance from professionals. Delgado offers a dramatic paradigm shift for social workers, showing that service delivery can take place in any setting, formal or informal, and emphasizing an integrated multicultural perspective.

The helping professions and social scientists traditionally seek concepts and paradigms that can be used in shaping research and services focused on marginalized populations in the United States. Various perspectives have garnered attention across disciplines with intersectionality as a recent, salient example. However, state-sanctioned violence-built upon the foundation established by Intersectionality-introduces a purposeful socio-political agenda that is carried out by various levels of government to subjugate a group due to its beliefs, physical characteristics, and/or social circumstances. This book provides a conceptual foundation on state-sanctioned violence; critiques how this perspective holds relevance for social work research, education, and practice; examines specific examples of how and where state-sanctioned violence is manifested; and projects potential developments into the near future.

Community Practice and Urban Youth is for graduate level students in fields that offer youth studies and community practice courses. Practitioners in these fields, too, will find the book particularly useful in furthering the integration of social justice as a conceptual and philosophical foundation. The use of food, environmental justice, and immigrant-rights and the book's focus on service-learning and civic engagement involving these three topics offers an innovative approach for courses.

Community Practice and Urban Youth is for graduate level students in fields that offer youth studies and community practice courses. Practitioners in these fields, too, will find the book particularly useful in furthering the integration of social justice as a conceptual and philosophical foundation. The use of food, environmental justice, and immigrant-rights and the book's focus on service-learning and civic engagement involving these three topics offers an innovative approach for courses.

Community Health Workers in Action proposes support and expansion of the role of community health workers in meeting the health needs of marginalized groups in United States cities (although their potential reach is not limited to any one group or geographical section). Given the health inequities that continue to touch the lives of millions of people of color across the country, these professionals' efforts-which translate to innovative, community-centered responses designed to reach particularly vulnerable populations-are quite timely. In order to truly understand the topic of health care, one must first explore its historical contexts, socio-cultural factors, and the ways in which values play a critical role in shaping a worldview of the right to quality care. This book offers readers a window into the dynamic field that continues to expand in highly creative and cost-effective ways, which ultimately shape one major piece of the complicated puzzle that is health care in America.

Melvin Delgado's innovative and creative approach to urban social work practice shows social workers how to focus on the assets these urban communities already have. Specifically, he suggests methods to approach the adults and children of these communities through the arts and other positive community projects, such as community gardens, playgrounds, and murals. These ideas are based on a capacity enhancement perspective and seek to empower and involve marginalized urban-based communities in the effort to create a positive community environment. Graduate courses for students specializing in urban-focused social work will find this to be a fresh approach to a timely issue, particularly in community and macro practice courses.

Latino small businesses provide social, economic, and cultural comfort to their communities. They are also excellent facilitators of community capacity -- a major component of effective social work practice. Social work practitioners have a vested interest in seeing such businesses grow, not only among Latinos but all communities of color. Reviewing the latest research on formal and informal economies within urban communities of color, Melvin Delgado lays out the demographic foundations for a richer collaboration between theory and practice.

Delgado deploys numerous case studies to cement the link between indigenous small businesses and community well-being. Whether regulated or unregulated, these establishments hire from within and promote immigrant self-employment. Latino small businesses often provide jobs for those whose criminal and mental health backgrounds intimidate conventional businesses. Recently estimated to be the largest group of color running small businesses in the United States, Latino owners top two million, with the number expected to double within the next few years. Joining an understanding of these institutions with the kind of practice that enables their social and economic improvement, Delgado explains how to identify and mobilize the kinds of resources that best spur their development.

Urban America is in the midst of an obesity crisis caused by more than just biology and diet. A number of economic, cultural, and contextual factors are causing this epidemic, which can create chronic health conditions for those least able to manage them. Despite scholars' best efforts to tackle the issue, the problem persists, largely because its social and economic drivers are so subtle and systemic. By considering urban obesity through a social justice lens, this book is the first to help social workers and others develop targeted interventions for truly effective outcomes. Melvin Delgado focuses on urban obesity in populations of color -- among the hardest hit in the United States -- and dissects the issue from individual, family, group, community, and policy perspectives. After an overview surveying the history of urban obesity in communities of color, anti-obesity policies and programs, and the role of social work in addressing this threat, Delgado moves through the social, ecological, environmental, and spatial aggravators of urban obesity, such as the food industry's nefarious advertising strategies, which promote unhealthy choices and behaviors; the failure of local markets to provide good food options; the lack of safe spaces in which to exercise; and the paucity of heath education. He analyzes recent, national statistics in terms of obesity among various groups; explores the connection between foodstamps and obesity; and reveals the financial and social consequences of this issue for society as a whole. Delgado concludes with recommendations for effective health promotion programs, such as youth-focused interventions, community gardens, and community-based food initiatives, and a unique consideration of urban obesity in relation to acts of genocide and the integrity of national defense.

Communal celebrations bring out the best in us, offering a place for people to come together and take a break from the routines of daily life. They are a vital aspect of city life and are increasingly popular as an urban development strategy. Celebrating Urban Community Life is a comprehensive guide to understanding and enhancing communal celebrations as a source of community capital. Drawing on case studies from New York, San Francisco, and Toronto, Melvin Delgado discusses the many ways in which fairs, festivals, and parades can enhance communal life. Providing a framework for social scientists, urban planners, and social workers to analyse and foster celebrations that benefit urban populations, the book is a valuable resource for those with an interest in this growing area of academic and practical interest.

Youth-led organizing, a burgeoning movement that empowers young people while simultaneously enabling them to make substantive contributions to their communities, is increasingly receiving attention from scholars, activists, and the media. Melvin Delgado and Lee Staples, recognized leaders in social work macro practice and community organization, have produced the first comprehensive study of this dynamic field. Their well-organized book takes an important step toward bridging the gap between academic knowledge and community practice in this growing area. The authors social justice-rooted perspective on the fields conceptual and practical foundations is an effective basis for analyzing youth-led community organizing, but they also offer glimpses of successful groups in action and helpful insight into how fledgling organizations can become stronger. These groups and their young participants represent the politics and activism of the future, and Delgado and Staples have produced a lucid, thoughtful guide to their key aspects and recent developments that students and researchers of community organization, not to mention the organizers and their facilitators themselves, are sure to find both inspiring and useful.

Practical guide and theoretical manifesto, "New Frontiers for Youth Development" is a vital roadmap to the problems and prospects of youth development programs today and in the future.

In response to an unprecedented array of challenges, policy makers and care providers in the field of youth dvevelopment have begun to expand the field both practically and conceptually. This expansion has thus far outstripped comprehensive analysis of the issues it raises, among them the important matter of establishing common standards of legitimacy and competence for practitioners. "New Frontiers for Youth Development" is an overview of the field designed to foster a better understanding of the multifaceted aspects and inherent tensions of youth development.

Melvin Delgado outlines the broad social forces that affect youth, particularly at-risk or marginalized youth, and the programs designed to address their needs. He stresses the importance of a contextualized approach that avoids rigid standardization and is attuned to the many factors that shape a child's development: cognitive, emotional, physical, moral, social, and spiritual. The key characteristic of youth development in the twenty-first century, Delgado suggests, is the participation of young people as practitioners themselves. Youth must be seen as assets as well as clients, incorporated into the educational process in ways that build character, maturity, and self-confidence.