Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy » (5th Edition)

Mary E. Woods received her MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work. She recently retired after ten years as Adjunct Associate Professor at Hunter College School of Social Work in New York City and over twenty years as an independent clinical practitioner with individuals, couples, families, and groups. In addition to her private practice, Ms. Woods had an extensive practice of consultation to other clinicians and with several social agencies. She has served as a field instructor, training director, and program developer during her seven year tenure in a family service agency, and she planned and directed a store-front counseling service to clients who had difficulty traveling to the agency’s main facility. She is the author or co-author of several articles and chapters, including “Psychosocial Theory and Social Work Treatment” in Francis J. Turner’s Social Work Treatment, and “Personality Disorders” in Francis J. Turner’s Adult Psychopathology II (due in 1999).

Florence Hollis was the sole author of the first two editions of Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy. She did her undergraduate work at Wellesley College, received her master’s degree from Smith College School of Social Work in 1931, and earned her doctorate from Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research in 1947. Through the depression years, she worked at family agencies in Philadelphia and in Cleveland, where she taught part-time at Western Reserve University. She was the editor of the Journal of Social Casework during the 1940s, and in 1947, she joined the teaching staff at Columbia University School of Social Work. While at Columbia, she developed her typology of casework procedures, which became the basis for ongoing and rigorous research into worker-client communication and the casework process. Over the course of her career, she published three books and over forty articles on casework. As a part of her busy life, Dr. Hollis saw clients on a regular basis; she considered it essential to the successful performance of her other professional roles.

Known in academic circles as the “bible” for clinical practitioners of social work, Casework: A Psychosocial Therapy introduces readers to the basic theory and principles in the practice of psychosocial therapy, along with attention to the historical development of the approach as it has been enriched and expanded over the years. The authors’ approach reflects a balanced focus on people, their environment, and the ways in which people interact with their environment. Essential techniques including how to conduct initial interviews with clients, crisis intervention, arriving at assessments, and choosing appropriate treatment, are thoroughly explained, and often clarified with case studies and vignettes, preparing readers to assess social work clients from a variety of perspectives. The book is designed for the graduate-level student who needs to master the principles, theories, and approaches of the psychosocial approach to applied practice, but it may also be used to fit a variety of courses, including the Introduction to Social Work BSW student who is looking for supplemental information on the basics of clinical practice. Now in its fifth edition, Casework has been thoroughly revised to keep discussions clear and up to date. New material has been added throughout, including a greater variety of case studies, discussions about current topics such as the influence of ethnicity and diversity in the social work practice, changes in family life roles, changes in ideas and practice approaches, and a significantly updated bibliography for reference.

Part One: The Theoretical Framework

Chapter 1: Casework: Then and Now

Chapter 2: The Psychosocial Frame of Reference: An Overview

Chapter 3: Examples of Clinical Social Work Practice

Chapter 4: The Hollis Classification of Casework Treatment
Part Two: Treatment: An Analysis of Procedures

Chapter 5: Sustainment, Direct Influence, and Exploration-Description-Ventilation

Chapter 6: Reflective Discussion of the Person-Situation Configuration

Chapter 7: Reflective Consideration of Pattern-Dynamic and Developmental Factors

Chapter 8: Psychosocial Therapy and the Environment

Chapter 9: The Client-Worker Relationship
Part Three: Diagnostic Understanding and the Treatment Process

Chapter 10: Initial Interviews and the Psychosocial Study

Chapter 11: Assessment and Diagnostic Understanding

Chapter 12: Choice of Treatment Objectives

Chapter 13: Choice of Treatment Procedures

Chapter 14: Family Therapy and Psychosocial Casework: A Theoretical Synthesis

Chapter 15: The Clinical Practice of Family Therapy

Chapter 16: Couple Treatment: Problems in Relationships

Chapter 17: Couple Treatment: Clinical Issues and Techniques

Chapter 18: Crisis Intervention and Brief Treatment

Chapter 19: Termination

Chapter 20: The Psychosocial Approach: Clinical Case Examples

Chapter 21: Studying and Working with the Hollis Typology
Appendix
Bibliography