Elements in the Development of an Australian Radical Social Work
In: Australian social work: journal of the AASW, Band 46, Heft 1, S. 3-8
ISSN: 1447-0748
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In: Australian social work: journal of the AASW, Band 46, Heft 1, S. 3-8
ISSN: 1447-0748
In: Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, Band 2, Heft 1, S. 56-64
ISSN: 2165-0993
In: Australian journal of social issues: AJSI, Band 30, Heft 2, S. 179-194
ISSN: 1839-4655
Over the last few years, the psychiatric service system in Victoria has undergone extensive reorganisation. The goals of mainstreaming and integration, endorsed by the National Mental Health Policy, have been fundamental in these changes. However, the implementation of these policies has aroused much criticism. This article discusses the concepts of mainstreaming and integration and summarises a research project into their impact on service delivery. We conclude that the initial implementation strategies in Victoria represented a limited understanding of the complexity of the key policy concepts; in particular, the overly literal model of mainstreaming has put at risk the gains of recent years in developing community‐based programs.
In: The international journal of social psychiatry, Band 53, Heft 2, S. 108-122
ISSN: 1741-2854
The language of recovery is now widely used in mental health policy, services, and research. Yet the term has disparate antecedents, and is used in a variety of ways. Some of the history of the use of the term recovery is surveyed, with particular attention to the new meaning of the term, especially as identified by service users, supported and taken up to various degrees by research and in the professional literature. Policy and practice in two countries – Australia and the United Kingdom – are examined to determine the manner and extent to which the concept of recovery is evident. In its new meaning, the concept of recovery has the potential to bring about profound and needed changes in mental health theory and practice. It is being taken up differently in different settings. It is clear that – at least in Australia and the United Kingdom – there are promising new recovery models and practices that support recovery, but the widespread use of recovery language is not enough to ensure that the core principles of the recovery model are implemented.
In: Social work in mental health: the journal of behavioral and psychiatric social work, Band 2, Heft 2-3, S. 21-37
ISSN: 1533-2993
In: Australian journal of social issues: AJSI, Band 20, Heft 3, S. 191-208
ISSN: 1839-4655
This paper examines an aspect of social inequality experienced by Aboriginal people living in a remote Queensland mining town. We contend that non‐Aboriginal perceptions and attitudes of Aboriginal drinking behaviour contribute directly to structural inequalities within the Mount Isa community.Social drinking in the township is, for reserve‐dwelling Aborigines, restricted mainly to one bar in one hotel and adjoining park and river bank area. The restrictions are preserved through both overt and covert discrimination. Aboriginal inebriation and excessive drinking are therefore more visible to the wider community and more accessible to police prosecution than that of any other ethnic group in the town.Although White folk tales concerning Aboriginal drinking often contain fear about acts of violence and crime directed towards the White community, soundly documented incidents are rare. This paper argues that the persistence of such attitudes is at the heart of a symbolic differential between the White and Black community in Queensland. Moreover, problems within the Aboriginal community that can be directly related to the excessive consumption of alcohol must also be seen as a product of these White reactions and perceptions.
In: Journal of social work: JSW, Band 5, Heft 3, S. 279-298
ISSN: 1741-296X
Summary: What characterizes the practice of expert mental health social workers? An observational study of social workers in a public mental health network in Melbourne, Australia sought to answer this question and the findings are reported in this article. As part of a larger study of mental health social work expertise, direct observation was done of the work of six practitioners engaged in a range of activities about which they were subsequently interviewed. Findings: In the first stage based on group interviews, six themes were identified. These were termed: 1) 'The Knowledge'; 2) 'A lot of hard grind'; 3) 'We are here for the clients'; 4) 'The complicated and the difficult'; 5) 'The stone in the shoe'; and 6) 'Going ten rounds with the system'. In this second stage observational study, evidence was found for all of these six themes, plus two additional ones relating to supervision and the emotive content of the work. Applications: Development of expertise consists of three elements: 1) a personality predisposition and personal capacity; 2) education; and 3) a conducive workplace environment. The application of the findings lies in developing the conditions for these elements to emerge.
In: Social work in health care: the journal of health care social work ; a quarterly journal adopted by the Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care, Band 35, Heft 1-2, S. 547-575
ISSN: 1541-034X
In: Qualitative social work: research and practice, Band 3, Heft 4, S. 411-429
ISSN: 1741-3117
What characterizes expertise in mental health social work? This article attempts to answer this question by reporting on the findings of a cross-national Australian and American study of social work practice expertise in mental health settings, particularly in working with people with long-term serious mental illness. The study identified expert practitioners through a peer-nomination process and asked each of them to describe a memorable practice situation in focus groups. These group interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a constant comparative method. In the face of often complex and demanding work situations, these social workers demonstrated qualities specific to mental health social work that were designated as belief, optimism and caring. These three qualities are delineated and discussed in this article, as well as the implications for social work practice and education