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Social Work

Mental Health & Substance Use

Scope

"The work of a mental health social worker will depend on their work environment (private practice vs. working for a non-profit, for example) and how they provide treatment (individual vs. group, for example). They may gain clients based on referrals in the setting they work in or clients may seek them out through therapist services and recommendations. They perform work that is similar to counselors and they make up one of the largest groups of mental health service providers. They work with at-risk and vulnerable populations as well." (Social Work License Map, n.d.)

Selected Books

Social Work and Mental Health: Evidence-Based Policy and Practice

Clear, comprehensive, and accessible, this textbook presents an overview of the contemporary American mental health system and its impact on clients and social workers.

Mental Health Social Work Practice in Canada

This innovative new text is the only Canadian textbook to offer a comprehensive overview of the legal and policy framework for mental health practice in social work.

Substance Abuse and Aftercare

This book provides a collection of research that explores alternative models, aftercare programs, employment services, trauma issues that effect recovery, gender-specific, and culturally modified treatment and aftercare programs.

Substance Use, Misuse and Relapse in the Addictions Treatment Workforce: Issues and Solutions

This book provides meaningful and practical guidance to the problem of substance misuse among addictions professionals.

Psychosocial Interventions for Mental and Substance Use Disorders: A Framework for Establishing Evidence-Based Standards

This book details the reasons for the gap between what is known to be effective and current practice and offers recommendations for how best to address this gap by applying a framework that can be used to establish standards for psychosocial interventions. 

Recommended Scholarly Journals

Scholarly Journals contain academic articles, these are often reports on original research, theoretical, experimental or applied. Many are refereed/peer-reviewed.

Finding Journal Articles

Below are a list of databases for the topic of human resources management. Try all of them to see different results.

Journal articles can be useful sources of information for almost any subject area. They contain current information or research, and are usually written on specific aspects of a topic.

Use research databases to search for articles on a specific topic. Databases can be accessed from off campus by current UFV students and employees.

Not all journals are created equal, and not all will be appropriate for every research need. These are the most common types of journals you are likely to encounter in your research, presented in order from most to least academic or scholarly:

  • Scholarly Journals: reports of original research, theoretical, experimental or applied; many are refereed/peer-reviewed
  • Trade/Professional Journals: current trends, news & events in a particular field; some are peer-reviewed
  • Journals of Commentary or Opinion: commentary on political & social issues; often source of specific political viewpoint, e.g., conservative, liberal, or specific interest group
  • Newspapers: current information, news stories; local & regional focus
  • Popular Magazines: current events & news; primary source for popular culture

Homelessness

Related Guides

Below are a list of other Library Guides with resources that may be relevant to this topic:

References

Social Work License Map. (n.d.). How to become a mental health social worker. https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-work-careers/mental-health-social-worker/

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