First published in 2000, This book has two purposes. First, it explores inclusion in supported employment by investigating social interactions between supported employees and their non-disabled co-workers, compared to those between non-disabled co-workers in the same work culture. Second, it provides information on how the findings of the study can be used in the areas of supported employment, education, and research.

Placing adult day services within the whole spectrum of social provision, the contributors to this book explore their complementary role alongside field social work, health care, domiciliary services and supported accommodation. Professionals in all sectors of social care will find it an essential guide to the provision of an effective day service.

Social Workers in Australia are increasingly called upon to work across social differences in ways that promote social justice and challenge growing inequity, and anti-oppressive practice has been put at the heart of qualifying programmes. In this exciting new collection, some of Australia's leading social work academics explore working across so-called human differences within the context of contemporary social work. By drawing on the insights and theories of people who have been positioned as 'different', the authors use practice vignettes and original data to provide ways to join theory and practice, with a primary focus on thinking about how to change patterns of social difference. Whether a social work student or an experienced practitioner, Working Across Differences is essential reading for anyone who values anti-oppressive practice and social justice

A practical tool for all job developers, this workbook presents strategies based on real situations and includes example exercises throughout. It draws on Steve Leach's thirteen years' practical experience in supported employment and is based on the principle of developing a client-centred approach to job development. It emphasizes the central importance of self-determination - ensuring that the individual makes their own choices to determine their future career. This flexible guide shows ways in which a support strategy can be developed in partnership with both employee and employer. Chapters are included on approaching and researching employers, establishing and improving the relationship between employee and employer, and on current debates in supported employment. The workbook also includes practical materials such as vocational profile forms, job analysis forms and support review charts. A comprehensive guide to delivering a supported employment service, it will enable professionals to support people with disabilities in finding and sustaining real jobs in real communities.

People with serious mental illness no longer spend years of their lives in psychiatric institutions. In developed countries, there has been a major shift in the focus of care from hospitals into the community. However, whilst it means those with mental illness are not confined, it does not guarantee they will be fully integrated into their communities. The barriers to full citizenship are partly due to the disabilities produced by their illnesses and partly by stigmatising and discriminatory attitudes of the public. This book analyses the causes of these barriers and suggests ways of dismantling them. The book is constructed in two parts: the first relates to social inclusion and the second to occupational inclusion. Throughout, the text is annotated with quotes from consumers, to illustrate their experience of the issues discussed. The innovations outlined are described in sufficient detail for the reader to implement them in their own practice.

This authoritative handbook reviews the breadth of current knowledge about developmental disabilities: neuroscientific and genetic foundations; the impact on health, learning, and behavior; and effective educational and clinical practices. Leading authorities analyze what works in intervening with diverse children and families, from infancy through the school years and the transition to adulthood. Chapters present established and emerging approaches to promoting communication and language abilities, academic skills, positive social relationships, and vocational and independent living skills. Current practices in positive behavior support are discussed, as are strategies for supporting family adaptation and resilience.

Successful transition from school to adult life has always been difficult for people with disabilities, especially in the area of employment. The vast majority of people with disabilities are either unemployed or underemployed with low wages and few benefits, and many governments are struggling to find a way of providing employment and benefits to people with disabilities without creating disincentives to work. This book provides strategies and ideas for improving the lives of people with disabilities, exploring new ways of enabling a successful transition to an integrated adult working life by providing effective instruction and support. Following an introduction which outlines the importance of transition services and meaningful outcomes, topics covered in the remaining chapters include: Person Centered Transition Planning; Enhancing Competence and Independence; Employment Assessment and Career Development; Collaboration between Agencies for a Seamless Transition; Independent Living and Supported Living; and Community Functioning Skills. The book will be of interest to all those who work with transition age students as well as those who work with adults with disabilities and want to enable them to have the best life possible. To paraphrase Helen Keller "people with disabilities not only need to be given lives, they need to be given lives worth living."

Mental health social workers work within multidisciplinary teams, often based in health settings. The variety of services they work within are shaped by mental health policy that is increasingly being influenced by research evidence of ‘what works’. This book provides an accessible, yet authoritative, guide to the evidence base that underpins contemporary mental health policy in the UK. It critically engages with the notion of evidence-based practice in mental health social work and provides a guide to becoming an evidence-based practitioner. It also provides an accessible guide to appraising quantitative and qualitative research relevant to mental health social work practice.

This is the first book to challenge the idea that paid work should be seen as an essential means to independence and self-determination for the disabled. Writing in the wake of attempts in many countries to increase the employment rates of disabled people, the contributors show how such efforts have led to an overall erosion of financial support for the disabled and increasing stigmatization of those who are not able to work. Drawing on sociology and philosophy, and mounting a powerful case for the rights of the disabled, the book will be essential for activists, scholars, and policy makers.

Grounded in a transdisciplinary approach, this groundbreaking text provides extensive, evidence-based information on the value of communities as the primary drivers of their own health and well-being. It describes foundational community health concepts and procedures and presents proven strategies for engaging communities as resources for their own health improvementñan important determinant of individual well-being. It is based on recommendations by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and on the premise that healthy communities are those with populations that participate in their own health promotion, maintenance, and sustenance. The book is unique in its integration of environmental and social justice issues as they significantly affect the advancement of community health. The text focuses on community-oriented health interventions informed by prevention, inclusiveness, and timeliness that both promote better health and are more cost effective than individually focused interventions. It addresses the foundations of community-oriented health services including their history, social determinants, concepts, and policies as well as the economics of community-oriented health services and health disparities and equity. It covers procedures for designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating sustainable community health coalitions along with tools for measuring their success. Detailed case studies describe specific settings and themes in U.S. and international community health practice in which communities are both enactors and beneficiaries. An accompanying instructor's manual provides learning exercises, field-based experiential assignments, and multiple-choice questions. A valuable resource for students and practitioners of education, public policy, and social services, this book bridges the perspectives of environmental justice, public health, and community well-being and development, which, while being mutually interdependent, have rarely been considered together. KEY FEATURES: Offers a new paradigm for improving public health through community-driven health coalitions Includes evidence-based strategies for engaging communities in the pursuit of health Demonstrates how to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate community health partnerships Presents transdisciplinary approaches that consider environmental and social justice variables Includes contributions of international authors renowned in community health research and practice