The Practice of Generalist Social Work

The new edition of The Practice of Generalist Social Work teaches and helps students apply the skills for micro, macro, and mezzo practice. The third edition contains over 80 pages of new content, including many skill-based guides to subjects such as cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing. Quick Guides, a new feature in the third edition, are tools that will be useful to students in everyday practice.

Routledgesw.com now contains 6 cases; the authors have created a new case, Brickville, for this book. Within Brickville, students work with a mezzo case embedded within a macro case to help a family in a community facing gentrification. Instructor materials include extra readings; PowerPoints; test questions; annotated links; syllabi for one-, two- or three-semester courses; and EPAS guidelines.

With 13 chapters and 6 cases, this book works with a one-, two-, or three-semester practice course. The book is also customizable on Routledge Custom Gateway.

Julie Birkenmaier is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Saint Louis University. Dr. Birkenmaier’s practice experience includes community organizing, community development, and nonprofit administration. Her research and writing focuses on community development, financial capability, financial credit, and asset development. Along with Marla Berg-Weger, she also co-authored The Practicum Companion for Social Work: Integrating Class and Field Work (3rd edition).

Marla Berg-Weger is a professor in the School of Social Work at Saint Louis University, Missouri. Dr. Berg-Weger holds social work degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. Her social work practice experience includes public social welfare services, domestic violence services, mental health, medical social work and gerontological social work. Her research and writing focuses on gerontological social work and social work practice. She is the author of Social Work and Social Welfare: An Invitation (3rd edition). Along with Julie Birkenmaier, she co-authored The Practicum Companion for Social Work: Integrating Class and Field Work (3rd edition). She is the past president of the Association of Gerontology in Social Work and currently serves as the Chair of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work Editorial Board Executive Committee and is a fellow in the Gerontological Society of America.

Marty Dewees, Associate Professor Emerita of the University of Vermont, made her way into social work through counseling and then focused on mental health work at the state psychiatric facility. Her inclusion on the faculty at the University of Vermont provided the impetus for looking at social work practice through the lenses of human rights, social justice, strengths, and social construction. These are reflected in her previous publications and in the first edition of this book.