Social workers-seek to make a positive difference in people's lives. But what is it like to be a social worker? What exactly do social workers do to help individuals, families, and communities discover their own unique strengths and overcome difficult barriers? This updated and expanded edition introduces the major concepts and contemporary issues in Canadian social work. It encourages students to consider social work as a career path and to join other professionals in helping people make positive changes in their lives and communities. Features of this new edition, Thoroughly updated by a nationwide team of Canadian authors and contributors, Compelling stories from the field, providing a sense of what it's like to be a social worker today, A new chapter on social work practice in the field of mental health, Up-to-date coverage of developments in Indigenous social work theory and practice, A survey of the unique history of social work practice in Quebéc, Career profiles of social work activists and practitioners from coast to coast Book jacket.

"Diversity and Social Work in Canada explores the question of how the social work profession can effectively address the growing diversity within Canada today. In this contributed volume, twenty-six academic experts offer insights for students of the helping professions, highlighting the concepts of cultural competence, experiential phenomenological approaches to identity, intersectionality, and localization. The text is divided into three parts. The first part explores theoretical approaches, including anti-oppression and anti-racism. The second presents ideas for managing diversity within clinical and community settings. The third focuses on social work with diverse populations, including First Nations, Francophones, and immigrants and refugees, and delves into practice concerns related to spirituality and religion, sexual diversity, gender, disability, and aging. Discussion is supported by real-world case examples to help students connect theory to practice."--

One Hundred Years of Social Work is the first comprehensive history of social work as a profession in English Canada. Organized chronologically, it provides a critical and compelling look at the internal struggles and debates in the social work profession over the course of a century and investigates the responses of social workers to several important events. A central theme in the book is the long-standing struggle of the professional association (the Canadian Association of Social Workers) and individual social workers to reconcile advancement of professional status with the promotion social action. The book chronicles the early history of the secularization and professionalization of social work and examines social workers roles during both world wars, the Depression, and in the era of postwar reconstruction. It includes sections on civil defence, the Cold War, unionization, social work education, regulation of the profession, and other key developments up to the end of the twentieth century. Drawing on extensive archival research as well as personal interviews and secondary literature, the authors provide strong academic evidence of a profession that has endured many important changes and continues to advocate for a just society and a responsive social welfare state. One Hundred Years of Social Work will be of interest to social workers, social work students and educators, social historians, professional associations and anyone interested in understanding the complex nature of people and institutions.

All of us, as Canadians, are touched throughout our lives by some aspect of social welfare, either as recipients, donors, or taxpayers. But despite the importance of the social network in our country, there has been no single source of information about this critical component of our society. Even professionals in the field of social work or social services have not had a comprehensive volume addressing the myriad features of this critical societal structure. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work fills this need. Over five hundred topics important to Canadian social work are covered, written by a highly diverse group of social workers covering all aspects of the field and all areas of the country. Practitioners, policy makers, academics, social advocates, researchers, students, and administrators present a rich overview of the complexity and diversity of social work and social welfare as it exists in Canada. The principal finding from this project underscores the long-held perception that there is a Canadian model of social work that is unique and stands as a useful model to other countries. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work will be an important source of information, both to Canadians and to interested groups around the world. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work is available in e-book version by subscription or from university and college libraries through the following vendors: Canadian Electronic Library, Ebrary, MyiLibrary, and Netlibrary.

All of us, as Canadians, are touched throughout our lives by some aspect of social welfare, either as recipients, donors, or taxpayers. But despite the importance of the social network in our country, there has been no single source of information about this critical component of our society. Even professionals in the field of social work or social services have not had a comprehensive volume addressing the myriad features of this critical societal structure. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work fills this need. Over five hundred topics important to Canadian social work are covered, written by a highly diverse group of social workers covering all aspects of the field and all areas of the country. Practitioners, policy makers, academics, social advocates, researchers, students, and administrators present a rich overview of the complexity and diversity of social work and social welfare as it exists in Canada. The principal finding from this project underscores the long-held perception that there is a Canadian model of social work that is unique and stands as a useful model to other countries. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work will be an important source of information, both to Canadians and to interested groups around the world. The Encyclopedia of Canadian Social Work is available in e-book version by subscription or from university and college libraries through the following vendors: Canadian Electronic Library, Ebrary, MyiLibrary, and Netlibrary.

This comprehensive introduction integrates perspectives from English, French, and Indigenous Canada to provide an inclusive treatment of the history, foundational skills, and specific fields of social work practice and research. Emphasizing diversity and drawing extensively on Canadianstatistics and scholarship, this is the ideal text for introduction to social work courses.

Wícihitowin is the first Canadian social work book written by First Nations, Inuit and Métis authors who are educators at schools of social work across Canada. The book begins by presenting foundational theoretical perspectives that develop an understanding of the history of colonization and theories of decolonization and Indigenist social work. It goes on to explore issues and aspects of social work practice with Indigenous people to assist educators, researchers, students and practitioners to create effective and respectful approaches to social work with diverse populations. Traditional Indigenous knowledge that challenges and transforms the basis of social work with Indigenous and other peoples comprises a third section of the book. Wícihitowin concludes with an eye to the future, which the authors hope will continue to promote the innovations and creativity presented in this groundbreaking work.

Spirituality is an area of thought and practice that is attracting an increasing amount of attention and interest from social work practitioners, theorists, and instructors. This book explores the history, practice, and diversity of faith traditions with which spirituality and social work are intertwined.

"Canadian Social Policy for Social Workers demystifies Canadian social policy for social work students by exploring how social policy shapes and regulates our daily lives. The 16 researchers and practitioners demonstrate that the study of social policy is a crucial dimension in all social work practice. The text's focus on the impact of social policy on social categories and specific social issues helps students understand that social policy is "real," tangible, and a window that illuminates the values and approaches to welfare in Canadian society. Drawing on a critical perspective and media discourse analysis, each chapter incorporates case examples, international comparisons, and case studies on social policy change to engage students in the discussion of social policy fields and issues."--

This comprehensive introduction to social work integrates perspectives from English, French, and Indigenous peoples in Canada to provide an inclusive treatment of the history, foundational skills, and specific fields of social work practice and research. Part I begins with an exploration of the origins and foundational concepts of social work in Canada, including how Indigenous, French, and English traditions have shaped and informed social work practice in Canada. The text then discusses theoretical approaches, and the values and ethics at the core of professional practice. Part II examines foundational skills for social workers through a focus on working with individuals and families, and groups and communities. Part III explores specific fields of social work practice and research, with chapters focused on the health field and on working with children, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, immigrants and refugees, the LGBTQ community, aging populations, and international social work. With an emphasis on diversity and drawing extensively on Canadian statistics and scholarship, this is an ideal text for introduction to social work courses. This updated, new edition features a substantially revised and expanded chapter on Indigenous Peoples and Social Work.