A thoroughly updated edition of the first book ever written on how to employ a strengths perspective when working with clients with psychiatric disabilities. It remains the first attempt to systematically translate the ideas and conceptions about the strengths model into a set of empirically derived practices. The central focus of the book is stregnths model practice: engagement, strengths assessment, personal planning and resource acquisition. This edition of the book includes more vignettes than the previous edition in order to make the practice "come alive" for the reader. Students, case managers, trainers, team leaders, quality assurance personnel and supervisors will find a wealth of empirically based information to guide their strenghts-orientated practice.