Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations: Evidence-Based Assessments and Interventions

A solid, theory-to-practice guide to contemporary mezzo and macro social work Written by a renowned team of scholars, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations focuses on the contemporary theory and practice of social work. Each chapter delves deeply into the key theoretical considerations surrounding a particular practice area, exploring the clinical implications of each. Spanning the full range of both mezzo and macro practice areas, the authors thoroughly look at the assessment of and interventions with group, community, organizational, and institutional settings. The most authoritative book in this field, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations features: A focus on evidence-based approaches to assessment and intervention for each practice area discussed Comprehensive coverage of the most important new and emerging practice technologies in mezzo and macro social work Current and emerging demographic, social, political, and economic trends affecting mezzo and macro practice An array of pedagogical aids, including Key Terms, Review Questions for Critical Thinking, and Online Resources Content closely aligned with social work accreditation standards (EPAS) Providing a solid review of the entire scope of contemporary mezzo and macro social work practice, Social Work Practice with Groups, Communities, and Organizations is both an indispensable educational text for students and a valuable working resource for practitioners who work with groups, communities, and organizations of all sizes.

Table of Contents:
Preface vii About the Editors viii Contributors ix Chapter 1 Assessment of Groups 1 D. Mark Ragg Historical Background 2 Summary of Current Evidence and Application to Group Assessment 4 Identified Needs for New Research 26 Key Terms 27 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 27 Online Resources 28 References 28 Chapter 2 Group Work: A Critical Addition to the Social Work Repertoire 41 Lena Dominelli Group Work: A New Method of Intervention with Deep Historical Roots 42 Group Work Models for Practice 50 Conclusion 55 Key Terms 56 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 56 Online Resources 56 References 56 Chapter 3 Assessment of Communities 59 Don M. Fuchs Historical Background and Theory 59 Assessment in Practice: Discovering and Documenting the Life of a Community 65 Limitations of the Evidence 73 Implications for Social Work on Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Levels 74 Future Directions 75 Conclusion 76 Key Terms 76 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 76 Online Resources 77 References 77 Chapter 4 Intervention with Communities 81 Michael Reisch Focus of Community Intervention: What Does Community Mean? 83 Historical Background 84 Current Evidence-Based Intervention with Communities 89 Limitations to the Evidence 102 Implications for Social Work 103 Conclusion 105 Key Terms 107 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 107 Online Resources 108 References 121 Chapter 5 Assessment of Organizations 131 Michael J. Austin and Catherine M. Vu Worker’s Perspective 132 Management’s Perspective 139 Funder’s Perspective 145 Client’s Perspective 150 Conclusion 153 Key Terms 155 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 155 Online Resources 155 References 155 Chapter 6 Intervention with Organizations 159 Charles A. Glisson Social, Strategic, and Technical Dimensions of Organizational Context 161 Work Environments of Social Services Organizations 162 Using Planned Intervention to Change Organizational Contexts 163 Historical Background 164 From Organizational Development to Change Management 168 The ARC Model as a Framework for Implementing Organizational Interventions 170 Limitations of the Evidence 179 Implications for Social Work Practice 181 Conclusion 181 Note 182 Key Terms 183 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 183 Online Resources 183 References 183 Chapter 7 Assessment of Institutions 191 Heather K. Horton, Brian D. Roland, Katharine Briar-Lawson, and William Rowe Historical Background 192 Assessment and Early Institutions 194 Emerging Federal Role in Institutional Reforms and Assessment 196 Characteristics of Asylums 197 The Anti-Institutionalization Movement 198 Normalization, the Least Restrictive Environment, and Recovery 198 Current Frameworks for Assessing Institutions 201 Organizational Effectiveness 204 Quality 208 Evidence-Based Assessment of Institutions 211 Implications at the Macro, Mezzo, and Micro Levels 217 Conclusion 219 Key Terms 219 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 219 Online Resources 220 References 221 Chapter 8 Intervention with Institutions 229 Leon Fulcher Historical Background 231 Summary of Contemporary Evidence-Based Intervention with Institutions 237 Limitations of the Evidence 248 Implications for Social Work Practice 252 Conclusion 255 Notes 256 Key Terms 256 Review Questions for Critical Thinking 256 Online Resources 257 References 258 Author Index 265 Subject Index 272

About the Author :
CHARLES A. GLISSON, PhD, is Distinguished University Professor at the College of Social Work at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is also the founder and Director of the Children's Mental Health Services Research Center, which is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. CATHERINE N. DULMUS, PhD, is Professor, Associate Dean for Research, and Director of the Buffalo Center for Social Research in the School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, and Research Director at Hillside Family of Agencies in Rochester, New York. KAREN M. SOWERS, PhD, is Dean and Beaman Professor in the College of Social Work at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interests include juvenile justice, sexuality, social work education, child welfare, evidence-based practice, and international social work practice.