This is the first book ever to be published on arts use in social work. Bringing together theoretical connections between arts and social work, and with practice examples of arts in micro and macro social work practice from around the world, the book aims to inspire the reader with new ideas. It provides specific skills, defines what is social rather than fine or projective art use, and explains the theoretical connection between art and social work. It has chapters from all over the world, showing how arts are adjusted to different cultural contexts. Section I explores the theoretical connections between art and social work, including theories of resilience, empowerment, inclusion and creativity as they relate to art use in social work. Section II describes specific interventions with different populations. Each chapter also summarizes the skills and hands-on knowledge needed for social workers to use the practical elements of using arts for social workers not trained in these fields. The third section does the same for arts use in community work and as social change and policy. Using Art in Social Work Practice provides theoretical but also hands-on knowledge about using arts in social work. It extends the fields of both social work and arts therapy and serves as a key resource for students, academics and practitioners interested in gaining the theoretical understanding and specific skills for using social arts in social work, and for arts therapists interested in using social theories.

How can social workers integrate expressive arts methods as a complement to their work to better support individual, group, and community growth? Expressive Arts for Social Work and Social Change explores the values and benefits of expressive arts (i.e., visual arts, movement and dance, expressive forms of writing and narrative, music, and performance) and the role they can play in social work practice and inquiry. Although previous research has illustrated the efficacy of expressive arts to individual therapeutic goals, this is the first work that looks at the use of these approaches to fulfill the values, ethics, and principles of the social work profession. The authors draw from current and emerging concepts related to green social work, including individual and collective well-being, Indigenous perspectives and practices, social justice and social action, and individual as well as collective creative expression. This book provides insight and advice that will benefit all human service professionals interested in expressive arts.

‘a game-changer, a must-read for scholars, students and artists alike’ – Tom Finkelpearl At a time when art world critics and curators heavily debate the social, and when community organizers and civic activists are reconsidering the role of aesthetics in social reform, this book makes explicit some of the contradictions and competing stakes of contemporary experimental art-making. Social Works is an interdisciplinary approach to the forms, goals and histories of innovative social practice in both contemporary performance and visual art. Shannon Jackson uses a range of case studies and contemporary methodologies to mediate between the fields of visual and performance studies. The result is a brilliant analysis that not only incorporates current political and aesthetic discourses but also provides a practical understanding of social practice.

How can social workers integrate expressive arts methods as a complement to their work to better support individual, group, and community growth? Expressive Arts for Social Work and Social Change explores the values and benefits of expressive arts (i.e., visual arts, movement and dance, expressive forms of writing and narrative, music, and performance) and the role they can play in social work practice and inquiry. Although previous research has illustrated the efficacy of expressive arts to individual therapeutic goals, this is the first work that looks at the use of these approaches to fulfill the values, ethics, and principles of the social work profession. The authors draw from current and emerging concepts related to green social work, including individual and collective well-being, Indigenous perspectives and practices, social justice and social action, and individual as well as collective creative expression. This book provides insight and advice that will benefit all human service professionals interested in expressive arts.

"This collection of writings on social work and the arts was borne during extraordinary and uncertain times. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic had brought the world to a standstill - most of us were hunkered down, if lucky, able to work from home yet feeling isolated and collectively lonely; others lost their jobs and yet others were on the frontlines fighting a heretofore unknown yet perniciously contagious disease. At the same time, precipitated by sequential killings of several black men and women at the hands of law enforcement, racial tensions in the U. S. erupted. Fueled by a culture more politically divided than ever, people defied the virus taking to the streets demanding racial equity, justice, and inspiring hope that social change was (is?) possible"--

Harnessing the inspiration available from the arts and the imagination brings to life sensitive and effective social work practice. Workers feel most satisfied while service users and communities are more likely to benefit when creative thinking can be applied to practice dilemmas. Drawing on contributions from Canada, England and Utrecht this book illustrates the transforming effect of creatively applied thinking to social problems. The first part of the book considers how use of the self can be enhanced by analytic reflection and application to difficulties facing individuals and communities. The second part shows psychodynamic theory to be a valuable aid when thinking about issues faced by social workers facing threats and accusations, therapeutic work with children and restorative youth justice. The third part of the book considers the implications of working with the arts in community settings – an ex-mining community in North West England, the Tate Gallery in London and the ‘cultural capital’ of Liverpool. Taken as a whole these chapters combine to inspire and provoke thought of how the arts and the imagination can be used creativity to help service users confronted by problems with living and the workers who attempt to get alongside them to think about these. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Social Work Practice.

Modern Social Work Practice is an interactive book designed to provide readers with an opportunity to engage with key aspects of current social work practice. It also provides an excellent digest of the significant literature. Each chapter is introduced with an activity or exercise designed to aid student learning in discrete aspects of practice, building up to a complete curriculum for practice learning. The book builds upon the success and style of Social Work Practice (1993) and The New Social Work Practice (1998). Mark Doel and Steven M. Shardlow have shaped the book to take account of the National Occupational Standards for Social Work, aiming to provide a creative, practical and up-to-date resource for teaching and learning in line with current practices.