Written for case managers working in health and human services, this practical guide addresses the need for more progressive and compassionate ways of working with others. Introducing innovative strategies for working with people that challenge the status quo, the book reconsiders old forms of social casework in favour of empowerment approaches that incorporate individual systemic advocacy. Patricia Spindel covers the history of case management, traditional approaches and their critiques, barriers to an empowerment approach, the ethical issues of labelling, stereotyping, stigmatization and pathologizing, and key empowerment philosophies and the research that supports them.
This guide provides concrete methods that will help readers put principles of empowerment philosophy into practice. With practical case studies and questions for reflection featured throughout the chapters, it is well suited for human services, social services, and social work programs in colleges and universities in Canada.
FEATURES
offers a practical "how to" for developing an empowerment plan and deals with common issues in practice, such as projection, countertransference, and transference
includes core concepts of empowerment and methodology for building individual and community capacity and competence
provides students with case studies from the field and questions to encourage reflection
Chapter 1: Introduction to Empowerment in Case Management
Chapter 2: Common Critiques of Traditional Case Management and Social Casework
Chapter 3: What Are Case Management Service Users Saying?
Chapter 4: Symbolic Communication, Resistance, and Why Case Management Needs Redefinition
Chapter 5: Key Empowerment Philosophies and Research Support
Chapter 6: The Practice Of Empowerment-Oriented Case Management
Chapter 7: Ethical Considerations in Empowerment-Oriented Case Management Practice
Chapter 8: Empowerment-Oriented Communication
Chapter 9: Building Individual and Community Capacity and Competence
Chapter 10: Advocacy as an Empowerment Strategy
Index
Biography
Dr. Patricia Spindel has worked with youth and engaged in systemic advocacy for people with developmental disabilities and their families and older adults for over forty years. She taught at both the University of Guelph-Humber and the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, where she also coordinated the Social Services Worker Program and was an Associate Dean of Health Sciences. She is a former President of Concerned Friends of Ontario Citizens in Care Facilities, co-founder of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, organizer of the Ontario Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, and co-founder of Seniors For Social Action Ontario.
“The empowerment approach is the book’s greatest strength. I found the text engaging with the
examples and easy to read but informative—it provides the reader with practical skills and techniques
to apply to their role as case manager. Case management is Euro-centric and often a paternalistic
way of social control. The critical dialogue and discussion in this text is important for professionals to
engage in. I would venture to say that this text should be required reading for any professional in case
management and not just students in a classroom.”
—Marlene Stewart, Professor and Program Coordinator, Social Service Worker Program, Sheridan College
“This text challenges us to take traditional orientations of case management and interrogate their
implications for people who use health and community services. Coming from a perspective that embraces
empowerment and attunement with people, this text steadily focuses our attention back to
humanizing services by centring the voices of clients, patients, and service users. One thing missing
in Canada is exactly this sort of context-specific, concrete textbook that helps human service workers
to actually practice the skills around case management.”
—Debashis Dutta, Faculty, Bachelor of Community & Criminal Justice Program, Conestoga College, and Lecturer, School of Social Work, University of Waterloo
