Human Services in Contemporary America

by Paul Schmolling; Merrill Youkeles; William R. Burger

• ISBN13: 9780534345716
• ISBN10: 0534345719
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-11-08
• Publisher: Brooks Cole

Summary

The Fourth Edition of this remarkable book inspires students to become helping professionals, while grounding them in the realities they will face. The book's multidisciplinary approach to the field of human services gives students an overview of the helping field, of the groups of people who get help from human services, of the programs available to them, and of the practical skills workers can employ. Based on the authors' belief that a humanistic perspective combined with a realistic awareness of pressing social problems provides the best foundation for creative and effective helping, this book provides a comprehensive survey of what the human services field has become and what it takes to be a human services worker.

Table of Contents

1 Human Services in the United States Today	1	(64)
Introduction	2	(1)
Human Needs: Focus of Human Services	2	(4)
The Role of Primary Social Supports in Meeting Needs	6	(2)
An Overview of Human Services	8	(10)
Sources of Need Satisfaction	18	(1)
Falling Through the Safety Net	19	(1)
Political Controversy and Human Services	20	(9)
The Impact of Contemporary Problems on Needs	29	(29)
Additional Reading	58	(1)
References	59	(6)
2 Groups in Need	65	(72)
Introduction	66	(1)
America's Poor	66	(7)
The Unemployed	73	(2)
Children in Need	75	(8)
The Elderly	83	(8)
People with Disabilities	91	(4)
Persons with Mental Illness	95	(7)
Substance Abusers	102	(8)
Criminals	110	(6)
Persons with Mental Retardation	116	(4)
The Homeless	120	(4)
Persons Living with HIV/AIDS	124	(5)
Summary and Conclusions	129	(1)
Additional Reading	130	(1)
References	130	(7)
3 Human Services in Historical Perspective	137	(26)
Introduction	138	(1)
Prehistoric Civilizations	138	(1)
Early Civilizations	139	(2)
The Middle Ages	141	(2)
The Renaissance	143	(1)
Human Welfare Services Since the Renaissance	144	(5)
Mental-Health Services Since the Renaissance	149	(8)
The 1990s and Beyond	157	(3)
Additional Reading	160	(1)
References	161	(2)
4 Theoretical Perspectives	163	(48)
Introduction	164	(1)
Scientific Theory	164	(1)
Theories About Human Disorders	165	(2)
Models of Dysfunction	167	(1)
The Medical Model	167	(8)
The Human Services Model	175	(2)
Issues Underlying Conflict Between Models	177	(1)
The Holistic Trend in Medical Theory	178	(2)
Schools of Therapy	180	(1)
The Psychoanalytic Viewpoint	181	(7)
The Humanistic Perspective	188	(4)
The Behavioristic Model	192	(10)
Which Theory is Best?	202	(1)
Alternative Paths to Personal Fulfillment	202	(2)
Systems Theory: The Model of the Future?	204	(1)
Does Psychotherapy Work?	205	(1)
Additional Reading	206	(1)
References	207	(4)
5 The Human Services Worker	211	(36)
Introduction	212	(1)
Different Styles of Helping Relationships	212	(2)
Characteristics of Effective Helpers	214	(5)
Basic Helping Skills	219	(8)
Factors That Influence the Use of Skills	227	(6)
Human Rights, the Law, and Human Services	233	(3)
The Worker in Group Settings	236	(3)
The Worker in the Community	239	(4)
Additional Reading	243	(1)
References	243	(4)
6 Careers in Human Services	247	(28)
Introduction	248	(1)
Generalist Human Services Work	249	(4)
Therapeutic Recreation	253	(1)
Creative Arts Therapy	254	(2)
Psychiatric Nursing	256	(2)
Occupational Therapy	258	(3)
Clinical Psychology	261	(4)
Social Work	265	(4)
Psychiatry	269	(2)
Professional Organizations	271	(2)
Additional Reading	273	(1)
References	274	(1)
7 Social Policy	275	(30)
Introduction	276	(1)
What Is Social Policy?	276	(3)
Purpose and Types of Social Policy	279	(1)
The Scope of Social Policy	280	(1)
The Making of Social Policy	281	(6)
Factors in Establishing Policy	287	(6)
The Implementation of Social Policy	293	(10)
Additional Reading	303	(1)
References	303	(2)
8 Prevention in Human Services	305	(22)
Introduction	306	(1)
Defining Prevention and Its Targets	306	(1)
Prevention in the Past	307	(4)
Levels of Prevention	311	(3)
Why an Emphasis on Primary Prevention Is Crucial	314	(4)
Primary Prevention Strategies	318	(1)
A Sample of Primary Prevention Programs	318	(3)
Obstacles to the Development of Primary Prevention Programs	321	(3)
Conclusion	324	(1)
Additional Reading	324	(1)
References	324	(3)
9 Current Controversies and Issues	327	(22)
Introduction	328	(1)
The Clash of Values in Social Policies	328	(4)
Government: How Much Support for the Needy?	332	(1)
Target Populations: The Struggle for Support	333	(4)
Professionalism in the Human Services	337	(3)
Deinstitutionalization: Does It Work?	340	(2)
The Role of Human Services Workers	342	(1)
Whom Do Human Services Workers Serve?	343	(4)
References	347	(2)
Glossary	349	(14)
Name Index	363	(6)
Subject Index	369