If social work students are to flourish in their careers, and go beyond a basic sense of ‘competence’ in practice, it is essential to develop a sense of Professional Self. This book will help students develop critical understanding of their own social work practice, and the tools and skills required to become a professional social worker. It includes: Chapters on practising Reflexivity and the importance of Relationships in social work Contributions from leading social work academics A focus on building a professional identity through learning and practice The emphasis is on developing your professionalism, and how that journey translates into everyday practice. To help this growth there are further chapters on getting the best from continuing professional development, challenging poor practice and professionalism and ethics. Professor Jonathan Parker is Deputy Dean for Research and Enterprise and Director of the Centre for Social Work and Social Policy at Bournemouth University. He is currently conducting cross cultural research on learning and practice with colleagues in Southeast Asia. Professor Mark Doel is Professort Emeritus in the Centre for Health and Social Care Research at Sheffiled Hallam University, and a registered social worker. Mark′s research experience is in the fields of practice education, social work practice methods, and service user involvement.

What is Professional Social Work? is a now classic analysis of social work as a discourse between three aspects of practice: social order, therapeutic and transformational perspectives. It enables social workers to analyse and value the role of social work in present-day multiprofessional social care. This completely re-written second edition explores social work's struggle to meet its claim to achieve social progress through interpersonal practice. Important features of this new edition include: § practical ways of analysing personal professional identity § understanding how social workers embody their profession in their practice with other professionals § detailed analysis of current and historical documents defining social work and social care analysis of values, agencies and global social work. This new edition will stimulate social workers, students and policy-makers in social care to think again about the valuable role social work plays in society.

Bringing together the perspectives of an internationally renowned group of specialists, the collection addresses a range of issues associated with professional identity construction and 'being professional' in the context of a rapidly changing inter-professional environment. It explores traditional aspects of professional identity such as beliefs, values, in-group status and belonging, alongside themes of professional socialisation, workplace culture, group membership, boundary maintenance, jurisdiction disputes and inter-professional tensions with health, education and the police.

"In this book, I address a perennial question: how does one find his or her way to the other side of suffering after a catastrophic disaster or other personal tragedy? The answer I suggest comes from coastal residents who survived the 2005 Atlantic Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Those who have lost homes and communities can provide an authentic and relatable example for other people faced with a life changing tragedy. In the first section, historic perspectives on disasters and their human impacts are considered. Two coastal parishes (counties) in south Louisiana are highlighted as a natural context for intergenerational knowledge of hurricanes and severe weather events. The Katrina experience is documented through entries in a survivor's personal journal. In the second section, six research-based principles of healing are presented: faith and humor, respect and gratitude, and acceptance and silver linings. Colorful case illustrations and direct quotes from Katrina survivors bring these principles to life. In the third section, post-disaster grief, the new normal after a disaster, and four obstacles that can delay or derail the process of healing are explored. Recovering daily routines and holiday observances provide direction as life goes on after a disaster. The voices of coastal residents who survived the Katrina tragedy offer a message of hope and healing after disaster for all who will listen. Their lives demonstrate quite convincingly that people can overcome catastrophic loss and regain a sense of joy in daily living in the years after a disaster or other life altering tragedy"--

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International Social Work: Professional Action in an Interdependent World is a comprehensive introduction that places social work history, practice, policy, and education within an international perspective.