Clinical Work With Substance-Abusing Clients

9780898621938

0898621933

"In almost 20 years of educating social work students about alcohol and other drug problems, I have been unable to find a book on clinical interventions as comprehensive as this one....This book truly fills a void in our knowledge and offers helpful techniques for treating alcohol and other drug abusers. It does not rehash old problems or invite us again to read about the difficulty involved in treating this population. It does not leave us feeling powerless....This fine book gives clinicians answers--the tools needed to treat these problems and to heal their clients." --From the Foreword by Frances L. Brisbane, Ph.D., Dean, School of Social Welfare, State University of New York at Stony Brook "The scope of this book is encyclopedic, covering a wide range of theory, skills, processes and settings of substance abuse treatment. Dr. Straussner has compiled a treasury of information by seasoned clinicians; its range, richness of material, and clarity of presentation make this book an invaluable resource both for practitioners and students of social work and other helping professions, from the undergraduate to the doctoral level." --Norma Phillips DSW, Social Work Program Director, Lehman College, CUNY "Social work clinicians and teachers will testify to the need for a textbook concerned with social workers involved in the clinical treatment of alcohol and substance abuse. This book is indeed a most welcome first. The editor, Lala Straussner, is a highly respected social work educator. She has brought together a large number of experienced clinicians to prepare chapters on assessment, intervention in specialized settings, and assessment and intervention with families and special populations. A text every clinician and educator will want to have." --Dr. Eileen Corrigan, Distinguished Professor, Rutgers University, School of Social Work "The initial chapter presents an excellent overview of critical issues in working with this client population. This is a practical guide for working with alcohol- and drug-dependent clients and their families in a variety of settings-- settings where social workers are struggling on a daily basis with decisions concerning diagnosis, treatment planning, referral and relapse prevention. This text can help workers with clients at all stages of the therapeutic process. As with other health related disciplines, including medicine, nursing and psychology, social work as a profession is just beginning to focus on the need for education and training in substance abuse for every one of its practitioners. This book will help fill the longstanding gap in social work education with regard to skills in working with substance-abusing clients. The book takes much of the expertise gained by the substance abuse field over the past 20 years and crystallizes it into practical guidelines. Clinical dilemmas and recommendations are presented in terms that will resonate for social workers. The book offers assessment and treatment tools which can be used in medical, psychiatric, workplace and substance abuse settings. There is a generous use of case examples which provide clear, cogent illustrations of intervention methods. Does a nice job of addressing family issues at multiple levels including intervention methods with partners, children, couples, and families as a whole." --Maryann Amodeo, MSW and Ph.D., Director of Alcohol and Drug Institute for Policy, Training and Research, Boston "Straussner has performed an enormously valuable service in providing this collection of articles...The book is well organized and readable...I would like to applaued Dr. Straussner for this much-needed work." --Joyce Lewis, Social Work in Health Care