Foundations of Social Work Practice With Lesbian and Gay Persons

by Mallon; Gerald P

• ISBN13: 9781560231011
• ISBN10: 1560231017
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1997-12-18
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Focusing on the pragmatic aspects of social work with gay and lesbian persons, this book offers a knowledge base of practice that will better prepare students and practitioners for working more competently and effectively with lesbians and gay men. Written by scholars and practitioners in the social work profession, Foundations of Social Work Practice with Lesbian and Gay Persons teaches you how to develop practice approaches that are sensitive to issues of sexual orientation as well as how to work with this population in the contexts of practice with individuals, couples, families, groups, communities, and organizations. The book's sensible strategies and case studies provide you with critical information that will help you deal with homophobia and heterocentrism and enact a professional commitment to pursuing economic and social equality for diverse and at-risk client populations.

Table of Contents

About the Editor	p. xii
Contributors	p. xiii
Foreword	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
Knowledge for Practice with Gay and Lesbian Persons	p. 1
An Ecological Approach	p. 2
Sources of Knowledge	p. 2
Practice Wisdom	p. 3
Personal Experience	p. 4
History and Current Events	p. 5
The Professional Literature	p. 8
Research	p. 10
Theoretical and Conceptual Analyses	p. 12
Self-Awareness	p. 14
Knowledge Derived from the Individual Case	p. 15
Conclusion	p. 18
Values and Ethics in Social Work Practice with Lesbian and Gay Persons	p. 31
The Profession's Core Values and Ethical Principles: Application in Practice with Lesbian and Gay Clients	p. 32
Identifying, Analyzing, and Resolving Ethically Challenging Practice Problems and Dilemmas	p. 45
Conclusion	p. 45
Negotiating Conflicts in Allegiances Among Lesbians and Gays of Color: Reconciling Divided Selves and Communities	p. 47
Previous Research on Racial Identify, Gay/Lesbian Identity, and GALOC Identity	p. 49
Applying the Life Model: The Stress-Coping Process Revisited	p. 51
Paradigm of the Stress Process	p. 52
Heterosexism, Racism, and Sexism: Creating Conflicts in Allegiances	p. 52
The Root of Conflicts in Allegiances: Pressures for Unity via Homogeneity	p. 54
Conclusion	p. 59
Individual Practice with Gay Men	p. 77
Introduction	p. 77
Definition	p. 78
Assessment	p. 79
Ethnic and Cultural Diversity	p. 81
Rural Gay Men	p. 83
Depression and Developmental Issues	p. 84
Chronically Mentally Ill Gay Men	p. 87
Substance Abuse	p. 87
Domestic Violence	p. 88
Antigay Violence	p. 89
Aging	p. 90
AIDS	p. 91
HIV-Negative Men	p. 92
Living with HIV and AIDS	p. 93
Death and Dying	p. 95
Conclusion	p. 98
Individual Practice with Lesbians	p. 105
Who Is Your Client?	p. 106
Married Lesbians	p. 106
Adolescents	p. 108
Gender Bias	p. 109
Couples	p. 110
Domestic Violence	p. 111
Lesbian Mothers, Children, and Families	p. 112
Lesbians of Color	p. 113
Differently Abled Lesbians	p. 115
Rural Lesbians	p. 115
Case Vignette	p. 117
Health	p. 119
HIV/AIDS	p. 120
Alcohol and Substance Abuse	p. 122
Older Lesbians	p. 124
Religion	p. 124
Conclusion	p. 125
Group Work Practice with Gay Men and Lesbians	p. 131
Societal Context	p. 131
Merits of Group Work	p. 133
Literature Review	p. 134
A Group Work Approach	p. 134
Case Illustrations	p. 136
Discussion	p. 141
Social Work Practice with Gay Men and Lesbians Within Families	p. 145
Definition of Family	p. 147
An Ecological Perspective	p. 150
Gays and Lesbians in the Context of Their Families of Origin	p. 151
Disclosure to Families of Origin	p. 153
Disclosure to Parents	p. 154
Creating Families	p. 162
Conclusion	p. 174
Social Work Practice with Lesbian Couples	p. 183
Fusion and Enmeshment: Strength or Pathology?	p. 184
Influence of Same-Gender Socialization	p. 187
The Impact of a Nonnutritive Environment: Homophobia and Social Exclusion	p. 188
Internalized Homophobia	p. 190
Lesbian Identity Development and Couplehood	p. 191
Sexual Intimacy Issues	p. 193
Fusion and Enmeshment as Functional and Adaptive: High Emotional Closeness	p. 197
Fusion as Pathology	p. 198
Therapist-Specific Issues	p. 199
In Summary: Therapeutic Goals and Interventions	p. 202
Conclusion	p. 202
Social Work Practice with Gay Male Couples	p. 209
Internalized Homophobia, Heterosexism, and Gay Identity	p. 212
Coupling Dynamics	p. 215
Male Gender Role Socialization	p. 218
Joining	p. 219
Assessing Presenting Concerns	p. 220
Interventions	p. 221
Case Illustration	p. 221
Implications for Social Work Practice	p. 223
Conclusion	p. 225
Social Work Practice with Gay Men and Lesbians Within Communities	p. 229
Practice with Communities Within an Ecological Framework	p. 230
Disempowerment and Social Pollution	p. 230
The Search for Community Within the Context of the Coming-Out Process	p. 231
Habitat	p. 233
Niche	p. 236
The Transgendered Community	p. 241
Implications for Social Work Practice	p. 242
Social Work Practice with Gay Men and Lesbians Within Organizations	p. 249
Code of Ethics	p. 252
Organizational and Political Realities	p. 253
Contemporary Practice	p. 257
Strategies for an Inclusive Workplace	p. 260
Coming Out at the Workplace	p. 265
Self-Advocacy Revisited	p. 266
Resources	p. 266
Definitions of Key Terms	p. 271
Index	p. 279
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