This timely book demonstrates the value and relevance of family-oriented programs in dealing with problems experienced by children and adolescents. Experts provide salient guidelines and recommendations for involving the family in the diagnosis and treatment of problems. In addition to providing current reviews of research, this practical volume describes various skill-building programs and therapeutic interventions that can be used in a variety of program and treatment settings. Designed for helping professionals who work with children and youth, Family Perspectives in Child and Youth Services will be most valuable for practitioners in social work, psychology, psychiatry, and child development.

Child care law and policy issues generate very strong emotions and some crucial questions concerning the role of the state. For instance, under what circumstances should the state be able to intervene and use the force of the law to protect children? Do children have similar rights to adults? Such questions are matters of controversial debate and, in the light of well publicised child abuse cases, official inquiries and a government review led to the passing of the Children Act in 1989. Perspectives in Child Care Policy presents four different value perspectives on child care policy - laissez-faire; state paternalism; defence of the birth family and children's rights. These perspectives differ in their underlying values, concepts and assumptions concerning children, families, the rights and powers of parents and the role of the state.

Rev. ed. of: Social policy for children & families: a risk and resilience perspective. 2006.

An extensively revised version of the first edition, this text focuses on the practical foundational knowledge required to practice social work effectively in the complex and fast-changing world of services to children and their families. The core organizing framework consists of eight pragmatic perspectives: combating adultcentrism, family-centered practice, the strengths perspective, respect for diversity and difference, the least restrictive alternative, ecological perspective, organization and financing, and achieving outcomes. Unlike most texts that focus either on direct practice or on policy, Petr's revised volume integrates current policy-including recent reform efforts-with "best practices." The student thus gains a deep appreciation for how direct social work practice is linked to, and even guided by, contemporary policy initiatives and the values that underscore those initiatives. Two new chapters are devoted specifically to the fields of child welfare and children's mental health, providing an overview of the laws, policies, practices, and terminology pertaining to each setting. The next eight chapters focus on each pragmatic perspective and its relevance to child welfare and children's mental health. The in-depth case studies that comprise the concluding two chapters illustrate how typical client situations can be successfully addressed within the context of the pragmatic perspectives. Packed with case studies, specific practice instruction, chapter summaries, and suggested learning activities, this book prepares students and practitioners to think and act professionally in ways that are consistent with current laws, values, policies, and reform efforts in the field.

The Third Edition of Jeffrey M. Jenson and Mark W. Fraser’s award-winning text, Social Policy for Children and Families, offers new evidence that a public health framework based on ecological theory and principles of risk, protection, and resilience is essential for the successful design and implementation of social policy. Written in a conversational, reader-friendly style and incorporating cutting-edge research, this carefully crafted book maps a pathway for developing resilience-based social policies. In every chapter, experts in their respective fields apply the editors’ conceptual model across the substantive domains of child and family poverty, child welfare, education, mental health, health, developmental disabilities, substance use, and juvenile justice. Recipient of the Best Edited Book Award from the Society for Research on Adolescence in 2008, the book is an ideal core text for graduate and upper level undergraduate courses and a vital resource for elected officials, policy makers, and others interested in the evolution of policies aimed at preventing problem behaviors and supporting children and families.

Here is a detailed look at the design, development, and successful implementation of a utilization-focused, computerized information system in an agency serving children, youths, and families. This important book describes Boysville of Michigan?s effort to create a model of information utilization designed specifically for social service settings, and details their unique attempt to integrate information technology and social work practice at every organizational level. Information Systems in Child, Youth, and Family Agencies covers Boysville?s five-year endeavor to design, implement, and evaluate BOMIS (Boysville Management Information System), their computerized management information, program evaluation, and clinical decision-making system. The book shows how practice-based research can contribute to broader practice-relevant knowledge for the field in general as well as for the sponsoring agency. It contains collaborative contributions by practitioners, managers, administrators, and researchers who were directly involved in the development and utilization of the information system. Many of the problems Boysville solved while implementing BOMIS are also likely to face information specialists and social work administrators in other agencies who are trying to integrate information technology with the practice needs of direct service workers. This in-depth case study helps them discover some of the ins and outs of setting up their own information system. Information Systems in Child, Youth, and Family Agencies is divided into three sections. The first describes the underlying theoretical assumptions of the Boysville system and the organizational structures and processes that translate these assumptions into practice. This section is written largely by Boysville?s research staff. The next set of chapters, written primarily by Boysville?s practice and administrative staff, illustrates the programmatic uses of information provided by BOMIS. The last section illustrates how BOMIS data can serve internal organizational purposes as well as reflect on broader issues in the field and is written by members of Boysville?s National Research Advisory Committee. Unique in its collaborative authorship (by practitioners and researchers) and its dual focus (for agency decision-making and for knowledge development), this book is especially helpful for managers and administrators interested in promoting computer-based practice research in their agencies, for research consultants, and for applied researchers in the human services.

With Children and Youth provides a snapshot of emerging theories and perspectives in the field of child and youth care across North America. Well-known scholars and researchers present new and innovative critical perspectives, written in a provocative manner and reflecting outside-the-box thinking. The book examines from scholarly and practical viewpoints the purpose of child and youth care practice, relational practice, post-modern approaches to thinking about theory and practice, and new and innovative thinking about the professionalization and accreditation of the discipline itself. Some chapters merge thinking about child and youth care with esoteric and literary prose; others use humour and satire as a way to represent both foundational and entirely new directions in the field. With Children and Youth provides no set conclusions or findings about the field; instead, it guides the reader to spaces of controversy, contention, and opportunities for innovation and change. Child and youth care practice and theory, it is argued, is based fundamentally on engagement across generations, cultures, and social positions, and this book exemplifies precisely that.

Use this newly developed family-oriented approach to be a better youth worker! In A Child and Youth Care Approach to Working with Families, practitioners and trainers in a new child methodology show you how to expand your youth program to involve family work using the Child and Youth Care Approach. This book provides a new way of looking at work with families in which the helpers are involved in the daily life of the families they are supporting. This book will be valuable to practitioners and instructors of the Child and Youth Care Approach as well as to youth workers, foster parents, and social workers who want to develop their own knowledge and skills in working with families. A Child and Youth Care Approach to Working with Families is designed to help youth care workers engage in a working relationship with young people and families that can facilitate change and allow families to live together more effectively with less stress. This book emphasizes that the family be involved in the care and treatment of young people. The authors reveal methods for connecting with each family by reflecting their rules, roles, culture, rhythm, timing, and style. This book will help you: develop your proficiency with the Child and Youth Care Approach to working with families shift from working in residential-only programs to in-home family prevention create as many moments of connection as possible among family members learn what boundaries need to be maintained to gain credibility with families provide effective supervision for staff working with families create activity-oriented family-focused work to develop family relationships and more! The authors of A Child and Youth Care Approach to Working with Families offer unique insight into the successes and failures of those who have moved into this area of helping troubled youths and adolescents. Special features of this book include specific learning exercises and short stories and case scenarios for you to practice alone or with your colleagues, as well as tables and figures. This book will introduce students, practitioners, and programs directors fully to this latest development in the field and help them engage more effectively with families. All royalties from this book will go to support CYC-Net (www.cyc-net.org).

Reaffirm your political and spiritual commitment to helping the poor and oppressed! How can teachers and social workers reach the endangered kids who seldom come to school? By going to the streets, where the children live, work, fight, steal, get sick, sell their bodies, and all too often die. Working with Children on the Streets of Brazil is an in-depth study of Brazil's homeless children and the street youthworkers who offer them food, clothing, beds, hope, medical attention, education, and simple respect. The street children of Brazil live in unimaginable poverty and squalor, stealing jewelry or selling their bodies to survive, wandering homeless and untaught, pursued by death squads who clean up the streets by washing them with blood. Yet the street youthworkers interviewed in this moving, powerful book--some inspired by the Catholic Church's Liberation Theology movement, some employed by the government or private agencies--continue their efforts to help and heal these children, often with remarkable success. Their work is widely respected, and their unique viewpoint on serving throwaway children can offer creative solutions for social service workers around the globe. Many of the issues discussed in Working with Children on the Streets of Brazil will be painfully familiar to social service workers everywhere, including: the problems of how to identify, classify, and count the children of the streets the reasons children leave or lose their homes the implications of policy decisions and socioeconomic forces on the children's lives the clash between law-and-order advocates and social service professionals the negative effects of deinstitutionalization and overcrowded youth homes the tragic societal consequences of the widening gap between rich and poor the problems of youth crime and violence the difficulties in delivering education, health care, and basic services for homeless children This impressive book offers a detailed history of the development of street social education; a study of the aims, methods, and experiences of youthworkers; and solid advice on using the principles and practices of street social education to reach the at-risk youth of any country, including the United States. Working with Children on the Streets of Brazil is both a scholarly work on the phenomenon of homeless children and a rousing call to action that will remind you of the reasons you chose to work in social services.

Understanding Family Support provides a definition of family support and a clear perspective on the role that it has in promoting the welfare of children and their families. Family support is a concept that has been used in a range of ways to describe various aspects of child welfare policy and practice. The authors argue that this weakens family support as an overarching child welfare paradigm. They present a unifying definition of family support along with ten principles and a series of reflective practice questions applicable to: legislation and policy; organisation, management and planning; direct work with children and families; and research and evaluation. This is an important resource for any professional engaged in policy development, service design, delivering or evaluation of family support, including social workers, residential care staff, community development workers, teachers, community police, human services managers, evaluators and policy makers.