Promoting Family Change

Life can be a struggle for families, and assisting families in difficulty can be challenging for those employed to work with them. This is a guide to this type of work, based on the realities of practice and developments in the field. The book emphasizes working with the family as a whole.

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'This book heralds an exciting new chapter in the history of family-centred practice. It takes us a long way down the road toward the destination of strength-based family work.'

From the foreword by Associate Professor Dorothy Scott, University of Melbourne

Life can be a struggle for some families, and support from skilled family workers can make a real difference. Promoting Family Change is a guide to working with vulnerable and marginalised families outside formal therapy settings.

Promoting Family Change introduces several approaches to family work which have proven to be very successful: solution-focused, narrative, cognitive, and community-building. These approaches assume that the starting point for change is the strengths and capacities of family members.

The book is illustrated with detailed case studies drawn from actual practice, and it includes examples of innovative programs. It also looks at ways in which workers can incorporate these approaches into their practice to become more effective in their interventions with vulnerable families.

Promoting Family Change is a good introduction to family practice for students and a valuable reference for welfare and community workers who wish to review and improve their practice skills.

Bronwen Elliott is a social worker with wide experience in working with families and consults with a range of agencies to improve their services. Louise Mulroney has worked for the last twenty years in the field of child and family welfare, particularly in the areas of training and policy development. Di O'Neil is Director of Special Projects and Training for St Luke's Family Care in Bendigo, and co-author of Beyond Child Rescue.