Social workers have long been involved in identifying resources and making final arrangements for clients who die without an estate or have no heirs, who may be institutionalized or unknown to the community, or whose body may be unclaimed for burial. Absent quick intervention, these individuals are often at risk for an anonymous potter's field…

This article reviews the literature on the concept of empathy in the social work profession from the days of Mary Richmond to its use in traditional literature today. Empathy is reexamined in light of recent developments in feminist scholarship, in particular the relational-cultural theory developed at the Stone Center at Wellesley College. Moving…

This article describes three predictable and sequential phases that represent a normal cycle of emotional responses by victims of sexual assualt. A series of interventions was developed to help patients work through each phase as smoothly as possible. (Author)

Challenges the assumption that an effective social work practice must be rooted in an established theoretical foundation. Presents an alternative model--a common sense, humanistic, and reflective approach that represents the actual nature of effective helping. (Author/ABB)

Charles Levy's classic 1973 article outlined a set of basic value-orientations for supervisors. Attempts to operationalize Levy's principles in order to develop practical guidelines for ethical practice. Discusses problem of "careerism" in social worker supervisors. Recommends supervisors examine ethical implications of their behavior.…

Realizing that facilitative qualities on the part of the counselor are definitely related to successful therapeutic outcome, this article concentrates on structural procedures for systematic training in these facilitative qualities. (Author/HMV)

Children who are developmentally disabled are more often handicapped by a lack of social skills than by intellectual limitations. The pilot program described here improved the psychosocial functioning of such children by involving them in one-to-one relationships with caring adults. (Author)

This article illustrates some specific advantages and practical considerations in the use of cotherapy during the family therapy process. (Author/DOW)

Explores current social work practice and human service innovations based on interviews with practitioners in Chicago, New York City, and St. Louis. Offers rationale for reorientation of social workers' helping relationship and how it can contribute to human services reform. Examines strategies and innovations that can help professionals make this…

This article investigates the reasons why young single girls are keeping their babies far more often than they did a few years ago, and the role of the helping professions in dealing with these young mothers. (BW)

The author offers some feedback to those in the helping professions in three areas: (1) forms and letters; (2) jumping to conclusions; and (3) blaming and belittling, in hopes of stimulating more feedback as well as more positive ways of performing their services. (HMV)

Definitions of social work that describe what social workers do often become unwieldy because social workers do so many different things. Here is a concise definition built around the common goals that unify the profession's diverse fields and specialties and make them social work. (Author)

Assessed care afforded the elderly through informal support networks, particularly their families, as opposed to formal services. Focused on strain experienced by primary caregivers, who tended to be women. Analyzed instrumental aid (tangible aid and service referral) and expressive support given by role models and confidants who provided a form…

Failure to distinguish between prescriptive and descriptive theory, to grasp the social group-work group and its context as a distinctive whole, and to take account of the worker's intentions have hampered the development of theories of social group work. This article discusses these concepts. (Author)