Jacqueline Corcoran

Graduate students in social work are dedicated to gaining the skills and knowledge to promote individual, family, and community well-being. Yet, students often struggle with translating research concepts into best practice. They must garner the skills to consider 1) client needs and preferences, 2) the best available evidence, and 3) the implementation context. Evidence-Based Practice Process in Social Work: Critical Thinking for Clinical Practice offers a framework for aligning these three essential ingredients of the evidence-based practice (EBP) process. The book is divided into three major sections, with Section 1 consisting of the first three chapters that include a brief overview of the EBP process (Chapter 1), methods on how to conduct assessments and to rely on assessment data to formulate practice driven questions (Chapter 2) and locate culturally relevant studies to address them (Chapter 3). Section 2 covers Chapters 4-6, focusing on the other types of research designs that may help inform what interventions to implement. Section 3 focuses on what factors may impact implementation of the intervention plan, and under what circumstances it may need to be adapted. Chapter 10 focuses on the different methods to monitor client progress. Finally, a review of key concepts and additional complex case studies to reflect upon are included in Chapter 11. Acknowledging the complexity of context in the EBP process, each chapter operationalizes the EBP process with instructions, case studies, and exercises to enhance student understanding.

The go-to guide for those raising children with mental disorders. The prevalence of mental health disorders in children is rising in the United States. In fact, recent studies estimate that one in six children ages six to seventeen have a mental health disorder. Your Child's Mental Health Diagnosis: A Comprehensive and Compassionate Guide for Parents is a valuable resource for parents who have a child diagnosed with a mental health disorder or who are concerned about their child’s emotional well-being. Jacqueline Corcoran, an academic and clinical expert with personal experience on the subject, draws back the curtain on how diagnoses are determined in the U. S., the limits of labels, and how labels can help. Then, organized by common mental health disorders, Corcoran provides comprehensive information about each condition’s symptoms, frequently co-occurring disorders, contributory factors, evidence-based treatments, medication options, working with your child’s school, and insight from parents’ own experiences. Your Child's Mental Health Diagnosis also addresses the overwhelming emotions parents may feel when witnessing their child suffer and emphasizes the importance of parents looking after their own mental health and relationships. An empathetic guide backed by up-to-date research, this book provides the support, information, and practical strategies parents need to help their child thrive despite the challenges they may face.

The aim of Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Social Work is to provide a comprehensive text, taking on assessment (biopsychosocial-cultural/spiritual risk and resilience; DSM; standardized assessment scales); goal-setting; and intervention, including medication, evidence-based interventions and the process of evidence-based practice with children and adolescents. The social work context is integrated throughout by: 1) considering the complexities of multiple system levels involved with the occurrence of mental disorders and youth adjustment and recovery; and 2) professional ethics and demeanor when working with impoverished, diverse, and vulnerable youth populations in inter-disciplinary settings.

In Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis in Social Work Practice, seasoned practitioner-scholars Jacqueline Corcoran and Joseph Walsh provide an in-depth exploration of sixteen major mental disorders that social workers commonly see in practice, including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. They skillfully integrate several perspectives in order to help practitioners meet the challenges they will face in client assessment, and present a risk and resilience framework that helps social workers understand environmental influences on the emergence of mental disorders and the strengths that clients already possess. The authors also catalog the latest evidence-based assessment instruments and treatments for each disorder so that social workers can intervene efficiently and effectively, using the best resources available. Students and practitioners alike will appreciate the wealth of case examples, evidence-based assessment instruments, treatment plans, and new social diversity sections that make this an essential guide to the assessment and diagnostic processes in social work practice.

Case-Based Learning for Group Intervention in Social Work provides essential information on planning and facilitating groups in a clear and easy-to-understand format. Current practice challenges, such as working with people that are mandated to group services and the proliferation of open-ended groups, are taken on directly with an array of strategies. To develop student competency, this volume uses a contemporary pedagogy--case-based learning--as a teaching tool for analysis, application, and decision-making. By working through cases, students gain exposure to the considerable range of populations that can be served by social work group intervention. The text is accompanied by Teaching Notes (available at www.oup.com/us/case-based) to help instructors dive deeply into student responses, whether cases are discussed in the classroom as a whole, in small group activities, or as individual assignments.

Learn essential clinical assessment skills for working in the mental health field using a case-based approach Mental Health in Social Work: A Casebook on Diagnosis and Strengths-Based Assessment emphasizes gaining competency in the DSM-5 diagnoses of mental disorders that are commonly seen in clinical and social service settings. Using a case-based approach, students and professionals learn to understand clients holistically as they proceed with the assessment and intervention process. The 3rd Edition includes new chapters on obsessive-compulsive disorder (Ch. 9), post-traumatic stress disorder (Ch.10), and gender dysphoria (Ch. 14) It also includes additional content on socially diverse populations throughout the text, and new “Questions to Consider” for making a DSM diagnosis are included with each case study.

This evidence-based text puts a human face on mental disorders, illuminating the lived experience of people with mental health difficulties and their caregivers. Systematically reviewing the qualitative research conducted on living with a mental disorder, this text coalesces a large body of knowledge and centers on those disorders that have sufficient qualitative research to synthesize, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disabilities, mood disorders, schizophrenia and dementia. Supported by numerous quotes, the text explores the perspective of those suffering with a mental disorder and their caregivers, discovering their experience of burden, their understanding of and the meaning they give to their disorder, the strengths and coping they have used to manage, as well as their interactions with the formal treatment system and the use of medication. This book will be of immense value to students, practitioners, and academics that support, study, and treat people in mental distress and their families.

Motivational interviewing is a person-centered, collaborative method for exploring ambivalence and enhancing motivation to change. Compatible with social work values and ethics, it is applicable to the wide range of problems and helping situations with which direct practice social workers are involved. One such by-product of working with vulnerable and oppressed clients -- people to whom social work is committed -- is that social workers are often employed in public agencies with people who have been ordered by the courts to attend services. In order to work successfully with mandated populations, helpers have to consider how they will access those who initially appear unmotivated to change. Motivational interviewing provides the stance and the tools to be able to achieve this effectively, while maintaining human dignity and respect of the individual. And although it can be used as a stand-alone model, motivational interviewing has also been employed as an initial intervention so that people become more motivated to participate in other services; it can be used flexibly on its own or integrated with other, more action-oriented interventions. This workbook, with its infusion of examples and numerous exercises, will help students and beginning practitioners develop the knowledge and skills to work collaboratively with clients and to build their motivation to change problem behaviors.

This evidence-based text puts a human face on mental disorders, illuminating the lived experience of people with mental health difficulties and their caregivers. Systematically reviewing the qualitative research conducted on living with a mental disorder, this text coalesces a large body of knowledge and centers on those disorders that have sufficient qualitative research to synthesize, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disabilities, mood disorders, schizophrenia and dementia. Supported by numerous quotes, the text explores the perspective of those suffering with a mental disorder and their caregivers, discovering their experience of burden, their understanding of and the meaning they give to their disorder, the strengths and coping they have used to manage, as well as their interactions with the formal treatment system and the use of medication. This book will be of immense value to students, practitioners, and academics that support, study, and treat people in mental distress and their families.

Collaborative Cognitive-Behavioral Social Work Intervention: A Workbook presents knowledge about behavioral and cognitive interventions in an easy-to-read manner. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be an empowering approach to change, helping clients at the individual level learn how to take change painful feelings and harmful behaviors and manage their social environment by learning new skills. An abundance of examples allows the reader to see the diverse range of applications cognitive-behavioral interventions might have to social work, as well as how to deliver CBT in a way that is respectful of client circumstances and works with people collaboratively.

The required research sequence is perhaps the most dreaded element of a BSW or MSW program for students who don't see the applicability of research methods and data analysis to the "real world" of practice. With the move toward greater accountability and evidence-informed practice, though, students must be well equipped to be not only consumers but producers of research. Increase student research comfort and competency with the Social Work Research Skills Workbook, a hands-on practical guide that shows students how to apply what they learn about research methods and analysis to the research projects that they develop in their internships, field placements or employment settings. At once a survival guide to the research requirement and a toolbox that practitioners can use in the field, this workbook promises to engage students in the research process and make them responsible, ethical, and informed producers of social work knowledge that produces better outcomes for their agencies and clients.

Direct practice foundation courses in social work prepare students for every step of the problem-solving process, yet too often emphasize the what and the why of practice at the expense of the how. This practical, easy-to-use, and hands-on guide bridges this gap by illustrating the helping skills that practitioners can actually use to influence people's lives in positive ways. Integrating two major helping models--motivational interviewing and solution-focused therapy--it equips students with the techniques and skills necessary for activating client strengths throughout the problem-solving process. Helping Skills for Social Work Direct Practice presents a wealth of sample dialogue, exercises, tips, and do's and don'ts, all designed to encourage learning by doing. This workbook helps make the links between theory and practice with these unique features: - Chapters logically organized by phases of the problem-solving process - Case demonstrations involving a variety of roles, including case manager, crisis intervention counselor, medical social worker, and school social worker - Practice exercises that prompt students to apply and generalize skills to different practice settings and client problems - Exhibits and reflection questions facilitate integration between classroom learning and the internship experience - An online instructor's manual (www.oup.com/us/helpingskills) with detailed answers to discussion questions From the first meeting with clients, to assessment, goal-setting, evaluation, and the ethics that guide the process throughout, this is the nuts-and-bolts guide to helping clients using a strengths-based perspective.

Mental health problems disrupt the lives of many young people and their families, putting them at risk for instability as adults. This is particularly true for children from vulnerable populations, such as those in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. With the prospect of potentially dire outcomes, it is essential that professionals be well equipped to understand and treat mental health disorders early and effectively. Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents offers a sweeping synthesis of the research on treatment of DSM-defined mental disorders in youth, appraising the state of the available evidence and examining how evidence-based treatments address the biological, psychological, and social variables that contribute to the development of disorders and the potential for recovery. Each chapter focuses on a different diagnosis, covering ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, substance use disorders, depressive disorders, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Each one contains a critical review of the state of knowledge about a disorder, a summary of empirically supported psychosocial and pharmacological treatments, a case study, and a recommended research agenda. In addition, each is thoroughly grounded in a risk and resilience framework and focuses on the contextual factors that influence not only the development of a disorder but the implementation and adaptation of evidence-based practices in the real world. Mental Health Treatment for Children and Adolescents is a valuable resource for students, researchers, and clinicians both for its presentation of cutting-edge data and its emphasis on implications for social workers in training, practice, and research.

When used in tandem, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, two distinct but highly compatible approaches to research synthesis, form a powerful, scientific approach to analyzing previous studies. But to see their full potential, a social work researcher must be versed in the foundational processes underlying them. This pocket guide to Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis illuminates precisely that practical groundwork. In clear, step-by-step terms, the authors explain how to format topics, locate and screen studies, extract and assess data, pool effect sizes, determine bias, and interpret the results, showing readers how to combine reviewing and meta-analysis correctly and effectively. Each chapter contains vivid social work examples and concludes with a concise summary and notes on further reading, while the book's glossary and handy checklists and sample search and data extraction forms maximize the boo'ks usefulness. Highlighting the concepts necessary to understand, critique, and conduct research synthesis, this brief and highly readable introduction is a terrific resource for students and researchers alike.

Families today often face a range of urgent problems, and practitioners need to intervene with the most effective methods possible, methods which have been tested and that have proven clinical utility. Mental health service delivery systems are increasingly moving toward these empirically-validated approaches, and practitioners need guidelines as to how such treatments may be implemented in daily practice. Evidence-Based Family Interventions reviews the empirically validated treatments that are relevant for family practice in the social work setting.