By Family Health Social Work Practice: A Macro Level Approach

Pardeck and his contributors approach the topic of family health from a macro perspective. Family health is a holistic approach to treatment embracing aspects of family functioning not typically considered in other more traditional approaches to assessment and treatment. They place particular emphasis on the ecological context in which the family functions, including the neighborhood, community, and other larger social systems. Family health is defined as the development of, and continuous interaction among, the physical, mental, emotional, social, economic, cultural, and spiritual dimensions of the family, that result in the holistic well-being of the family and its members. The chapters in the book are guided by a number of key premises, including (a) Family health social work practice is grounded in a biopsychosocial approach to assessment and treatment; (b) Family health is based in a systems-ecological approach to assessment and intervention because of the role that various systems play in the well-being of the family; (c) Family health views the family system as the most important system for promoting the growth and development of the person; (d) Family health social work practice requires close collaboration between social work practitioners and other professionals. Based on these basic premises, Pardeck focuses on the macro level issues of family health practice that include community intervention, policy and program development, and program administration. The book is an important resource for social work professionals, scholars, students, and other researchers involved with social work practice and human services. Review ?At last, here is a perspective that unites family and health, and in addition to being family centered, will inform the foundation of social work teaching and practice....The family health paradigm from macro level approach provides solid reading for learning within the classroom, clinical enviornments, and policy planning arenas. The resourceful text includes information on methods and skill requirements, as well as government and public policy reforms and recommendations....Distinguished from other social work concentrations this rising field of practice provides a holistic understanding of family behavior and health in the social enviornment and gives momentum toward the possibility of greater acceptance of human differences, responsibility for unmet social needs and health care reform.?-Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare ?The goal of this edited volume was to go beyond direct practice, broaden our understanding of the predicament of health care today, and stimulate a change process by focusing on macro level issues. As a result the text makes a significant contribution to the advancing knowledge regarding family health social work.?-Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare "The goal of this edited volume was to go beyond direct practice, broaden our understanding of the predicament of health care today, and stimulate a change process by focusing on macro level issues. As a result the text makes a significant contribution to the advancing knowledge regarding family health social work."-Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare "At last, here is a perspective that unites family and health, and in addition to being family centered, will inform the foundation of social work teaching and practice....The family health paradigm from macro level approach provides solid reading for learning within the classroom, clinical enviornments, and policy planning arenas. The resourceful text includes information on methods and skill requirements, as well as government and public policy reforms and recommendations....Distinguished from other social work concentrations this rising field of practice provides a holistic understanding of family behavior and health in the social enviornment and gives momentum toward the possibility of greater acceptance of human differences, responsibility for un