This text provides an in-depth, contemporary approach to clinical social work with clients in mental health settings.

This is a revision of a text originally titled Clinical Social Work Practice in Community Mental Health. The “community mental health” approach is now dated, and this revision features “behavioral” mental health, described from a “postmodern” perspective.

The book's postmodern approach is client-oriented and context-sensitive. This perspective is explained in Chapter 1 and is included in every chapter by featuring clients' “voices,” particularly at the beginning and end of the chapters.

Important new topics include managed care and measurement of outcomes, both of which are woven throughout the text and featured in Chapters 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 13. “Best Practices” boxes in Chapters 6 and 8-12 provide exemplary approaches to intervention with clients with specific mental health problems. Alternative healing methods are discussed in “Other Ways of Healing” sections in Chapters 6, 8, 9, 12, and 13. Medications are discussed in Chapters 8, 9, and 12, and abuse of medications is discussed in Chapter 13.