Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis in Social Work Practice

In Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis in Social Work Practice, seasoned practitioner-scholars Jacqueline Corcoran and Joseph Walsh provide an in-depth exploration of fourteen 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.

Jacqueline Corcoran, PhD, is Professor of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University and a licensed clinical social worker. She has written fourteen books for the field, as well as novels. Her website is http://www.jacquelinecorcoran.com/.

Joseph Walsh, PhD, is Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work.