Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics

Book Review: The Social Workers' Desk Reference

Reviewed by Georgianna Mack, MSW, PLCSW

Roberts, A. R. (Ed.). (2009). Social Workers’ Desk Reference, 2nd Edition. New York, NY:Oxford University Press.

Reviewed by: Georgianna Mack, MSW, PLCSW, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

The late Albert R. Roberts, Ph.D. was a Professor in the Criminal Justice Program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in Piscataway, New Jersey. He was a college professor for more than 35 years, and taught criminal justice and social work courses for 19 years at Rutgers University. Professor Roberts published widely in the areas of Victimology, Domestic Violence, and Crisis Intervention. In addition to being the Editor-in-Chief of the Social Workers’ Desk Reference, he has more than 250 publications, including 38 books. He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the journals Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention and Victims and Offenders. He also edited the Springer Series on Social Work, the Springer Series on Family Violence, and the Greenwood Series on Social and Psychological Issues.

The 1st edition of the Social Workers’ Desk Reference was edited by Albert R. Roberts and Gilbert J. Greene and published in 2001. It contained 146 chapters and 910 pages. The 2nd edition has grown to 171 chapters and 1,267 pages. Associate Editors were directly responsible for the content of the chapters they wrote and the revisions of chapters in their section that appeared in the first edition.

This enhanced edition continues to provide students, teachers, and practitioners an effective resource tool reflecting best practices in the social work field. It continues the tradition of the 1st edition by providing the reader the most up-to-date information in a straightforward manner written by experts in their areas of practice.

New to this edition is an Introduction and Overview, Part 1, Chapter 1, The Synergy and Generativity of Social Work Practice, written by Anita Lightburn. The author stresses changes in the profession in the seven years since the first edition and the attention to developing evidence-based practice in diverse settings. She addresses The Strength of Multiple Perspectives and the structure of service delivery changes. She states that “this well-honed prodigious work will be a critical support to social workers as we reaffirm what is relevant and define what needs to be known to practice in new contexts and transform how we work in traditional settings.”

Part II: Roles, Functions, and Typical Daily Schedule of Social Workers in Different Practice Settings. In chapters 2 – 13, areas of practice are presented by professionals discussing activities that they engage in on a typical day.

Part III: Social Work Values, Ethics, and Licensing Standards is expanded from four chapters in the 1st edition to 11 chapters in the 2nd. Malpractice lawsuits, social work licensing examinations, social work regulation and licensing, the impaired social work professional, patient safety standards, procedures, measures, and quality standards and quality assurance in health settings. The section on online social work – ethical and practical considerations was expanded to the role and regulations for technology in social work practice and e-therapy social work.

Part IV: Theoretical Foundations and Treatment Approaches in Clinical Social Work. This area added four additional chapters. Significant is chapter 44 “How clients can effectively use assessment tools to evidence medical necessity and throughout the treatment process.”

Part V: Assessment in Social Work Practice: Knowledge and Skills – This area reviews the DSM-IV-TR,  its use and guidelines. Chapter 47, “Clinical Assessment of Bipolar Disorder: Balancing Strengths and Diagnosis,” is new to this edition. The use of case examples clearly contributes to a better understanding of the disorders and symptoms associated with them.

Part VI: Working with Couples and Families – A number of chapters have been revised and added. Chapter 66, “Psychoeducation,” discusses interventions that focus on educating clients in a topic area. It relies on learning theory, cognitive psychology, dynamic psychology, and developmental psychology.

Part VII: Developing and Implementing Treatment Plans with Specific Groups and Disorders – Chapters were updated and Chapter 71, “Using Evidence-Based Practice and Expert Consensus In Mental Health Settings: Step by step Guidelines for Schizophrenia,” was added.

Part VIII: Guidelines for Specific Techniques was expanded from the 1st edition to include Part IX, Guidelines for Specific Interventions. The interventions are clearly outlined and case examples add to knowledge.

Part X: Case Management Guidelines – This area is significant in that it gives an overview of case management, followed by services involved in working with various populations.

Part XI: Social Work Fields of Practice – This area discusses the current and  future status of social work in a number of practice areas, including adult mental health, alcohol and drug dependence, proactive model of health care, and evidence-based practice in older adults with mental health disorders.

Part XII: Community Practice – Chapters in this area address “An Integrated Practice Model for Family Centers, International Perspective on Social Work Practice” and  principles and practice guidelines in a number community support areas.

Part XIII: Working with Vulnerable Populations and Persons at Risk – The chapters in this area present a revision; initially it provides an “Overview of Working with Vulnerable Populations and Persons at Risk,” and specifically discusses certain groups (LBGT, Older Adults, Refugees and Immigrants, Native Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders, Latinos, and African Americans). Chapter 144 discusses and illustrates a culturagram that assesses the role of culture in a family and is a supportive tool to the eco-map and genogram.

Part XIV: School Social Work – This is a new section and addresses a number of issues specific to school social work. It begins with an “Overview of Current and Future Practices in School Social Work” and  “Evidence-Based Violence Prevention Programs and Best Implementations.”

Part XV: Forensic Social Work – An overview is presented, followed by chapters that support and define forensic social work, including “Expert Witness Testimony in Child Welfare,” “An Interest-Based Approach to Child Protection Mediation,” “Children Exposed to Domestic Violence,” “Step by Step Guidelines for Assessing Sexual Predators,” and “Elder Abuse”.

Part XVI: Evidence-Based Practice – Chapters 161–171 support the overall science of Evidence-Based Practice. Experts in the field discuss “Developing Well-Structured Questions for Evidence-Informed Practice,” “Locating Credible Studies for Evidence-Based Practice,” as well as random trials, meta-analysis, systematic reviews, and practice guidelines.

The Social Workers’ Desk Reference is a must have resource document for all social work practitioners. The text creates an environment for learning from the beginning to the end. The content is easy to read and understand. Students, educators, and practitioners will find it valuable as a reference guide in learning new knowledge and keeping updated with concepts, theories, and interventions that pertain to social work practice. The chapters contain Web sites and references, and most contain case examples that facilitate learning. The glossary is very well done and enables a quick and easy explanation for terms and topics. Also included are an author index and subject index.