Mental Health Social Work Practice in Canada is a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the nature of mental health issues and the legal and policy framework within which treatment is provided. Written by leading experts in the field, this highly readable text teaches students about theevidence-based social work practices that will best help individuals and families living with mental health challenges. This third edition has been fully updated to reflect recent research and legislation, and includes new coverage of the impacts of social media, the legalization of cannabis,medical assistance in dying, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care system.

Social Work in Health and Mental Health: Issues, Developments, and Actions was created for final year undergraduate and master's level students in the health and mental health fields. It is primarily a book on social work practice, discussing how one might approach a specific health or mental health related problem or issue as a social worker. Health and mental health are conceptualized broadly in this volume. The health and well-being of body and mind are seen as integrally connected, shaped by biological, physics, psychological, material, social, and structural features and determinants. Clients are viewed as active, engaged agents, with strengths and resources from which to draw in meeting everyday challenges and major life crises. Contributions form around the world allow the social work student to learn about current practice in places as diverse as Australia, Finland, China, South Africa, Wales, Canada, and the United States. Each chapter is accompanied by both reflection questions and a case study derived from practice and written to stimulate discussion that develops assessment and treatment planning skills.

In Canada, at least 5 percent of the population suffers from a serious, persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. While recent years have seen many changes and improvements in the way we respond to the needs of mentally ill persons, there remain divisions of opinion among stakeholder groups about the way mental health services are delivered. Community Mental Health in Canada offers a timely, critical overview of the provision of public mental health services in Canada, looking at where we have come from, the current situation, and where we may be heading. Concise, yet comprehensive, coverage includes: the prevalence and impact of mental illness in Canada the complementary and conflicting interests of stakeholder groups, such as mental health professionals, clients, families, government, and drug companies current and developing initiatives in treatment, rehabilitation, housing, and criminal justice programs the clinical benefits and costs of particular interventions, among them pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioural treatments the recovery model diversity and cultural competence the legal and ethical basis of mental health practice, particularly as it applies to the use of coercion and involuntary treatment Community Mental Health in Canada fills a gap in the literature in its analysis of both clinical mental health practice as well as the structural context within which it is situated. An indispensable resource for students, practitioners, and policymakers, it also is essential reading for all those interested in how services are provided to our most vulnerable citizens.

Spirituality often plays a critical role in health and wellness, yet few have explored in detail the process through which practitioners can identify and use clients' spiritual strengths to their mutual advantage. To address this gap, this practice-oriented text equips helping professionals with the tools they need to administer spiritual assessments ethically and professionally. David R. Hodge outlines a number of assessment approaches, including an implicit method for evaluating "secular" forms of spirituality. Case examples illustrate the implementation of these strategies in different clinical settings and with groups from diverse racial, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Promoting health and wellbeing is an essential part of all effective social work – not just for practice in healthcare settings. In fact, the IFSW holds that ‘social workers in all settings are engaged in health work’ and physical and mental resilience can make a major difference to all service users’ lives. Drawing on international literature and research, the authors collected here encourage thinking about the social, political, cultural, emotional, spiritual, economic and spatial aspects of health and wellbeing, and how they impact on the unique strengths and challenges of working with particular populations and communities. Divided into three parts, the first section outlines the major theoretical paradigms and critical debates around social work and ideas of wellbeing, globalisation, risk and vulnerability, and the natural environment. The second part goes on to explore how diverse understandings of culture, identity, spirituality and health require different strategies for meeting health and wellbeing needs. The final part presents a variety of examples of social work research in relation to health and wellbeing with specific populations, including mental health. Exploring how structural inequality, oppression and stigma can impact upon people, and drawing upon a social model of health, this book is an important read for all practitioners and researchers interested in social work, public health and social inclusion.

Essential Law for Social Work Practice in Canada, second edition, is a guide to Canadian law and legal processes designed specifically for social workers. This core text examines all of the major legal situations social workers may encounter-from child abuse, family violence, and adoption issues to health care, mental illness, and immigration status-ensuring that students are well-versed in their own legal rights and obligations and know what to expect when testifying in court. Each chapter opens and closes with a realistic case example and provides a comprehensive list of legislation relevant to the area under discussion. New to this second edition is a chapter focused on adoption law as well as an expanded pedagogical program, which includes chapter-opening learning objectives, chapter-ending discussion questions, and a list of key terms with definitions.

This edited collection offers an original critical clinical approach to social work practice, written by social work educators from the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University and their collaborators. It provides a Canadian perspective on the diverse issues social workers encounter in the field, highlighting the practical application of feminist, narrative, anti-racist, and postcolonial frameworks. With the aim of producing counterstories that participate in social resistance, this volume focuses on integrating critical theory with direct clinical practice. Through the use of case studies, the contributors tackle a range of substantive issues including ethics, working with complex trauma, men’s use of violence, substance use among women and girls, Indigenous social work praxis, critical child welfare approaches, counterstorying experiences of (dis)Ability, and animal-informed social work practice.

This text broadly examines many important aspects of effective and affirming practice methods with the LGBTQ community, along with considering health, mental health, history, and policy factors. The content was written by social work scholars, educators, practitioners and students to reach across professions (e.g., social work, health, mental health) and across audiences (e.g., students, faculty, researchers, and practitioners).

This edited collection focuses on Africentric social work practice, providing invaluable assistance to undergraduate students in developing foundational skills and knowledge to further their understanding of how to initiate and maintain best practices with African Canadians. In social work education and field practice, students will benefit from the depth and breadth of this book’s discussions of social, health and educational concerns related to Black people across Canada. The book’s contributors present a broad spectrum of personal and professional experiences as African Canadian social work practitioners, students and educators. They address issues that African Canadians confront daily, which social work educators and potential practitioners need to understand to provide racially and culturally relevant services. The book presents students with an invaluable opportunity to develop their practical skills through case studies and critical thinking exercises, with recommendations for how to ethically and culturally engage in African-centred service provision.