People all over the world are confronted daily by issues such as poverty, a lack of access to quality education, unaffordable and or inadequate housing, and a lack of needed health and mental services. These issues are dynamic and varied, and social workers need to have access to relevant and timely evidence-based materials to meet the needs of those facing them. The Social Workers' Desk Reference is a comprehensive resource for practicing social workers.

This essential reference is extraordinarily comprehensive and provides updated information in 15 parts covering the profession and its overarching themes; values, ethics, licensure; theoretical constructs; assessment; treatment plans; techniques; individual, family, and group Interventions; evidence-based practice; case management; community practice; vulnerable populations; behavioral and mental health; school social work; military social work; and forensic social work. All 163 chapters, written by experts in the field, are focused, practical, and contain critical content in addition to websites and updated references.

The fourth edition follows in the tradition of the first three editions and updates previous topics but fearlessly addresses current salient subjects such as white nationalism, gaming disorder, substance abuse, LGBTQ+ populations, suicide, sexual violence in the military, smart decarceration, the legacy of racism, neurobiology, technology and social work practice, Islamophobia, pseudoscientific behavioral and mental health treatments, emerging fields of practice, and more. It has greatly expanded its section on vulnerable populations to address the wide variety of diversity in the U.S.