Today, nearly one of every eight Americans is 65 or older, and by 2030, over 20% of the population will be in this age group. Are you prepared to work with this vastly diverse—and rapidly growing—population? This single source is designed to help social service professionals provide effective services to America’s vastly diverse and rapidly growing elderly population. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment explores the impact of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and geographic location on elders’ strengths, challenges, needs, and resources to provide you with a more complete understanding of the issues elders face. In order to be more responsive to older adults, social workers and other human service professionals need to enhance their knowledge of the aging population and the factors that impact the way seniors interact with society, organizations, community resources, neighborhoods, support networks, kinship groups, family, and friends. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment examines differences in race, ethnicity, geographical location, sexual orientation, religion, and health status to help current and future human service professionals provide culturally competent services to the diverse range of elderly people they serve. In addition, it addresses the wide disparity that exists for older Americans in terms of income and assets, number of chronic conditions, functional and cognitive impairment, housing arrangements, and access to health care. This book provides a context for the examination of diversity issues among older adults by describing and discussing several theoretical perspectives on aging that highlight important aspects of diversity. Next, you’ll find thoughtful examinations of: issues and challenges faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders—and the strengths they bring into later life the impact of gender, race, and sexual orientation on prevalence rates, risk factors, methods of disease contraction, and mortality rates among older adults with HIV/AIDS—along with a discussion of the psychosocial issues they face diverse characteristics of custodial grandparents—and the influence of the caregivers’ gender, race, age, and geographic location on methods of care and available caregiver support differences in caregiver characteristics, service utilization, caregiver strain, and coping mechanisms among several racial/ethnic groups of adults who care for elderly, disabled, and ill persons cultural/religious factors that influence interactions between health care personnel and Japanese-American elders the relationship between acculturation and depressive symptoms among Mexican-American couples life challenges facing Jewish and African-American elders—with a look at each group’s coping mechanisms differences in religious/spiritual coping skills among Native American, African-American, and white elders psychological well-being and religiosity among a diverse group of rural elders

A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE ON GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS Since its inception in 1987, The Encyclopedia of Aging has proven to be the definitive resource for scholars and students across the burgeoning and increasingly interdisciplinary fields of gerontology and geriatrics. Like its three esteemed predecessors, the fourth edition contains concise, readable explorations of hundreds of terms, concepts, and issues related to the lives of older adults, as well as timely coverage of the many new programs and services for the elderly. Updated, under the distinguished stewardship of editor-in-chief Richard Schulz to reflect the infusion of new information across the scientific disciplines, this new edition brings readers up-to-the-moment significant advances in biology, physiology, genetics, medicine, psychology, nursing, social services, sociology, economics, technology, and political science. While retaining the format and standard of excellence that marked the first three editions, the fourth edition encompasses a wealth of new information from the social and health sciences. It contains the most current bibliography of an expanding literature, an exhaustive index, and extensive cross references. This much anticipated update of the field's most authoritative resource will take its place as an indispensable reference for specialists and non-specialists across a broad range of disciplines that now comprise the field of aging. SPRINGER--SERVING THE HEALTHCARE AND HELPING PROFESSIONS FOR MORE THAN 55 YEARS

Explore diverse dimensions of human behavior and development with this essential textbook, designed specifically for social work students and practitioners. This textbook is an invaluable resource for social work students and new practitioners, offering a comprehensive exploration of human behavior and development within the social environment. Practical guidance is provided through the application of various social work lenses and approaches. The book meticulously covers each stage of development, from in-utero and prenatal through to late adulthood and end of life, offering real-world case studies to contextualize developmental content and exploring a range of perspectives in the podcast discussions. Chapter authors, most of whom are actively engaged in clinical practice, provide unique insights into how various environments impact developmental stages. Practical exercises and guidance are designed to promote effective social work practice, ensuring students gain hands-on experience. Expect to benefit from diverse viewpoints and distinctive communication styles that make the content accessible and engaging for readers from various backgrounds and learning patterns. The textbook also includes developmental considerations for social work practice, along with a variety of tools and resources to support student learning outcomes for each chapter. By incorporating multiple perspectives and expert knowledge, this textbook offers a multifaceted approach to understanding human development, equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in dynamic social work environments. Key Features: Experience a textbook that gives voice to traditionally marginalized groups, preparing students for inclusive and effective social work practice. A clear competency-based focus on diversity and social justice that aligns with the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Benefit from the insights of diverse chapter authors who bring a wealth of clinical expertise and a variety of lived experiences, fostering a broader understanding of development. Enhance knowledge with a range of pedagogical elements, including case studies, discussion questions, and podcasts, catering to both auditory and visual learners. Instructors will also have access to an Instructor Manual utilizing chapter highlights, micro lectures, critical discussion questions, and in-class activities; chapter PowerPoints; and a Sample Syllabus with a suggested course schedule.

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Get a balanced, comprehensive analysis of the effects from 1996 welfare reform The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was aimed at repairing the welfare system of the United States. The Impact of Welfare Reform: Balancing Safety Nets and Behavior Modification comprehensively examines how this bill transformed the system and affected not only clients but also the organizations that implemented the reform. This text moves beyond traditional analyses of welfare reform to reveal a full range of viewpoints and issues while avoiding mere political rhetoric. Leading authorities present knowledgeable perspectives on the clients and their problems, the implementing organizations, the struggles to comply with the requirements, and the issues that remain unresolved. The Impact of Welfare Reform presents revealing interviews with clients, organizational employees, and caseworkers. In-depth discussion topics include the value of emotional well-being on job status, the effects that the new time limit requirements have on clients, ways to facilitate the welfare-to-work transition for women with mental health issues, changes in the work environment of service-providing organizations, and the client’s own experiences within and outside of the system. Qualitative and quantitative methods of study are used to effectively evaluate welfare reform while providing a direction for further research in the future. The text is extensively referenced and uses tables, charts, and figures to clearly illustrate data. This book will bring you up to date on: the impact of alcohol, drugs, and psychological well-being on successfully finding employment the impact of welfare reform on children and adolescents innovations by state welfare offices community and alternative interventions that help those on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to comply with work requirements and time limits the perceptions of caseworkers who implement TANF and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) The Impact of Welfare Reform is enlightening reading for social workers, educators, graduate students, and public policy professionals.

Handbook of Aging and the Social Sciences, Ninth Edition, provides a comprehensive synthesis of the latest research findings in the science of aging. The complexities of population dynamics, cohort succession and policy changes modify the world and its inhabitants in ways that must be vigilantly monitored. Completely revised, this edition not only includes the foundational, classic themes of aging research, but also a rich array of emerging topics and perspectives that advance the field in exciting ways. New topics include families, immigration, social factors and cognition, caregiving, neighborhoods and built environments, natural disasters, religion and health, and sexual behavior, among others. This book will serve as a useful resource and an inspiration to those searching for ways to contribute to the aging enterprise. - Includes aging topics at both the micro- and macro-level - Addresses the intersection of individual and aggregate factors - Covers a spectrum of disciplines, including demography, economics, epidemiology, gerontology, political science, psychology, social work, sociology and statistics - Brings together the work of almost fifty leading scholars to provide a deeper understanding of aging

Design and implement appropriate, effective social work education programs! This vital human behavior textbook for graduate-level social work students emphasizes the biopsychosocial framework with a psychodynamic and developmental perspective. Written from the perspective of a classroom teacher, faculty advisor, and clinician, this book discusses ego functions, defenses, psychoanalytic theory, object relations, attachment theory, self-psychology, constructivism, and cognitive-behavioral theories. In addition, current social problems such as violence and abuse are addressed. Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Interweaving the Inner and Outer Worlds addresses development through the life cycle, discussing the developmental challenges, tasks, and problems of each stage. Presenting complex concepts in a clear and understandable way, it also examines and integrates systems and organizational factors, as well as the impact of culture on clients and treatment programs. Each chapter of Human Behavior in the Social Environment includes learning exercises and suggested readings. Some of the issues emphasized in this text are: development though the life cycle and the challenges, tasks, and problems of each stage the diversity of forms of families patterns of internal organization and communication within families illness and disabilities mental health problems such as schizophrenia, depression, borderline personalities, anxiety disorders, addictions, and developmental disabilities With case vignettes as well as material from literary works, biographies, and newspapers, this well-referenced volume illustrates the complexities of human existence, the multiple social conflicts operating in society, and the relevance of social policy dilemmas.

This Second Edition of the Handbook addresses the evolving interdisciplinary health care context and the broader social work practice environment, as well as advances in the knowledge base which guides social work service delivery in health and aging. This includes recent enhancements in the theories of gerontology, innovations in clinical interventions, and major developments in the social policies that structure and finance health care and senior services. In addition, the policy reforms of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act set in motion a host of changes in the United States healthcare system with potentially profound implications for the programs and services which provide care to older adults and their families. In this volume, the most experienced and prominent gerontological health care scholars address a variety of populations that social workers serve, and the arenas in which they practice, followed by detailed recommendations of best practices for an array of physical and mental health conditions. The volume's unprecedented attention to diversity, health care trends, and implications for practice, research, policy make the publication a major event in the field of gerontological social work. This is a Must-Read for all social work social work educators, practitioners, and students interested in older adults and their families.