The Social Worker's Guide to Child and Adolescent Mental Health provides a comprehensive guide to working with children and young people who are experiencing mental health problems, and equips the reader with the knowledge and skills to provide the best service to these vulnerable young people.The first part of the book considers what role social work can play in child and adolescent mental health, and explores key ideas related to mental health and young people, including attachment issues, children's emotional development and common and complex mental health problems. The author then covers how social work skills and methods can be applied to working with children and young people with mental health problems, including guidance on assessment tools, intervention, and multi-disciplinary working. The final section focuses on the wider context, such as legislative and policy frameworks and the importance of considering cultural, spiritual and religious identity. Case examples, reflective activities and practical exercises are included to underpin theory and knowledge.This book will be essential reading for all pre- and post-qualifying social work practitioners involved with children, adolescents and families, in particular those working in mental health settings, as well as approved mental health professionals.
CONTENTS: Acknowledgements. Foreword. Stephen Briggs, Tavistock Clinic, UK. Introduction. Part 1. Social work assessment and intervention. 1. The role of social work in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. 2. Child development and attachment. 3. Mental health problems. Part 2. Applying the skills of social work. 4. Social work skills and methods. 5. Multi-disciplinary and interprofessional working. 6. Family and community support. Part 3. The context of social work with children and young people. 7. The organisational and legal framework. 8. Culture, ethnicity and diversity. 9. Understanding spirituality and religion. Conclusions and recommendations. Bibliography. Index.
At a time when the criticism is that social workers hold too many eggs in their basket, the title of Steven Walker's The Social Worker's Guide to Child and Adolescent Mental Health (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) speaks for itself. There are no shortage of books on mental health generally or young people in particular but Walker's is very unusual in focussing on the needs of this professional group. It looks at the role of social work with mentally ill young people, while also examining key ideas like attachment, emotional development and common and complex mental health problems. Its value really is in showing how social work skills and methods can apply rather than borrowing from other professions.
