Person-environment practice : the social ecology of interpersonal helping

Abstract

Person-Environment Practice addresses core but long- neglected dimension in social work and human services practice; accurate assessment and strategic intervention. Despite the centrality of person-environment key construct in direct practice, the domain of assessment/intervention has received relatively little systematic attention in the practice literature. For variety of reasons, the core focus of direct practice assessment and change strategies has centered more on person than environment. This book seeks to redress that imbalance. Ironically, the relative lack of attention to environmentally oriented practice persists even current demands of practice fall increasingly under the rubric of what we here call environmental intervention, defined both action in the and the process of transforming individual and collective perspectives through critical analysis of the impact of conditions. The authors argue that the ability to understand environment from the client's perspective and to function effectively in the domain is central to many emergent areas of practice such practice with extended families and personal networks, practice from strengths perspective, and culturally competent practice. In Person-Environment Practice, the authors offer coherent critique and overview of assessment and intervention congruent with the demands of both newly emerging and established interpersonal helping approaches within social work's domain. Robert Halpern of the Erikson Institute for Advanced Studies in Child Development described the book as clear, thoughtful and subtle discussion of how to consider the in interpersonal helping I have seen in the literature and Anthony Maluccio of Boston College called the book a timely and exciting contribution, with appreciation and respect for social work practices and qualities of inspiration well intellectual stimulation Susan P. Kemp is assistant professor, School of Social Work, The University of Washington, Seattle. James K. Whittaker is professor, School of Social Work, The University of Washington, Seattle. Elizabeth M. Tracy is associate professor, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.