Social Work and Mental Health: The Value of Everything - Softcover

"Goes a long way to set out the case for social work as one of the 'most vital components in a truly whole person and whole systems approach to mental health' (Introduction)... The layout... complements a punchy conversational and notational style and is also supported by the inclusion of numerous charts, diagrams and free-drawn images, which add an air of craft and authenticity to the writing. This is unusual in an academic text but all the better for it, in my view. The contributors are a sound mix of academics and researchers, front line practitioners and managers, some of whom are, or have been, service users themselves... A central principle driving the whole book is the importance of service users taking more control of their lives, having real choice in treatments and being genuinely included as equals in partnership working. The book appeals in a number of ways. It is clearly written, thoughtful and committed. In making the case for social work, the book draws strongly on an eclectic range of sources and interweaves academic writing from across several disciplines. The chapters also draw on first-hand personal accounts from service users, carers and professionals to examine and demonstrate social work practice. Where case examples are used, these offer excellent insights and reflections from practitioners and others on social work approaches and interventions. This works well across all the chapters where this technique is used... Overall, if you are looking for a social work text that is interesting and entertaining but that also retains a sensitive and humane approach to mental health work, then this is a good and valuable read." --British Journal of Social Work

"Immensely uplifting... packed with current, integrated information. What is striking is how far mental health has moved from the medical model. This is all handled sensitively in a reader-friendly style. Peter Gilbert and his colleagues draw in the reader by using succinct quotes from research and personal experiences, including Gilbert's own... I thoroughly recommend this book, for those who may only have time to read short sections to reinforce their own values or those who are working with people who have a mental illness and want to remind themselves of core social work values and some of the reasons they may be doing this work." --Professional Social Work

"Peter Gilbert, who has both edited and written several chapters in this book, has risen to the challenge by identifying universal themes and values in mental health social work, which transcend the political hues of different governments. At the same time this book, which is a new edition of Gilbert's acclaimed publication from 2003, contains up-to-date information on developments relevant to this area of social work... With a new government in power that seems determined to implement massive cuts in public services, social work will certainly be presented with enormous challenges - the amount of people who come into contact with the profession is likely to rise while the numbers of social workers may decrease. This book reasserts the importance of social work in modern society, and should be read not only by social workers and social work students, but also by anyone who needs to understand how the role of social work can address mental health issues and the needs and aspirations of people who experience mental health difficulties. Rating: Essential Reading." --Toby Williamson, head of development and later life, Mental Health Foundation, in Mental Health Today

Social Work and Mental Health: The Value of Everything is the new edition of Peter Gilbert's The Value of Everything: Social Work and its Importance in the Field of Mental Health (Russell House Publishing, 2003), which was acclaimed: "A clear guide...a useful tool for increasing understanding between all stakeholder groups in mental health." - Mental Health Today / "The author's breadth of knowledge makes the book accessible and informative at all levels of enquiry." - Community Care / "The service user and carer perspective is featured heavily, and their accounts and those of mental health staff are used liberally to illustrate why the social work role will continue to be of central importance...insightful and interesting." - Care & Health *** This new edition maintains the focus on the values that social work espouses as a profession, and its value in current mental health services. New chapters have been added around: social inclusion, personalization, research, the role of the social worker following new UK mental health legislation in 2005 and 2007, and an overview of policy up to the current time. The book celebrates and promotes multi-disciplinary work and the integration of perspectives. It sets social work as a major contributor to the truly whole-person and whole-systems approach to mental health. It values those who use mental health services as people with their own unique strengths, needs, and experiences. Social Work and Mental Health provides clear theoretical frameworks that enable social workers to recognize the capacities of service users. The issues of identity and equality are addressed. Additionally, the book discusses the merits of different models for understanding and working with mental or emotional distress. Research and ideas drawn from sociology, psychiatry, psychology, and even economics emphasize how social work is able to utilize the best of everything that is available for the service users' and carers' benefit.