Collaborative Helping

WILLIAM MADSEN, PhD, is an internationally-renowned consultant in the fields of family therapy and social work. He is the author of Collaborative Therapy with Multi-Stressed Families, a social work text used widely by public agencies and graduate programs. In 2013, he was awarded the Distinguished Contribution to Family Therapy, Theory, and Practice award by the American Family Therapy Academy.KEVIN GILLESPIE, MHSA, RN, is the Executive Director of Integrated Services and the founding director of Blue Sky Alliance of Appalachian Ohio. He has more than 30 years of experience combining direct service, system development, and administration. His work focuses on innovative service solutions for public service systems and in alliance with therapeutic, housing, and employment professionals.

• Acknowledgments viiIntroduction xiAbout the Authors xixChapter 1 Helping: What, How, and Why 1Stories of Helping Relationships 1Walking and Talking 8Helping Activities—The What of Helping 9Relational Connection—The How of Helping 12Experience and Stories—The Why of Helping 14Placing Collaborative Helping in a Broader Context 17Moving Collaborative Helping into the Future 20Chapter 2 Cornerstones of Collaborative Helping 23Collaborative Helping as a Principle-Based Approach 23Collaborative Helping and Relational Stance 26Collaborative Helping and a Focus on Life Stories 33Collaborative Helping and Inquiry 40The Cornerstones in Plain English 46Chapter 3 A Map to Guide Helping Efforts 49Introducing Collaborative Helping Maps 50The Collaborative Helping Map in Action 52Organizing Vision and Preferred Directions in Life 53Obstacles and Supports 58The Plan 64The Usefulness of a Map 68Chapter 4 Collaborative Helping Maps in Different Contexts 69Using Collaborative Helping Maps in Residential Programs 69Using Collaborative Helping Maps to Enhance Conversations in Child Protective Services 78Using Collaborative Helping Maps in the Changing World of Health Care 91Current and Potential Uses for Collaborative Helping Maps 96Chapter 5 Engaging People to Envision New Lives 99Engagement—Who Are You and What Is Important to You? 99Vision—Where Would You Like to Be Headed in Your Life? 102Engagement Difficulties 108Engaging a Youth with a No Problem Stance 111Engaging a Woman with a No Control Stance 115Difficulties Developing a Vision 118Connecting to Build Desired Futures 123Chapter 6 Rethinking Problems and Strengths 125Rethinking Strengths and Needs 126Conversations about Problems as Obstacles Separate from People 127A Map for Externalizing Conversations about Problems 135Conversations about Strengths as Intentional Practices of Living 139A Map for Conversations about Strengths 142Applications of Conversations about Strengths 144New Conversations about Problems and Strengths 148Chapter 7 Dilemmas in Home and Community Services 151Concrete Help, Boundaries, and the Terrain of Home and Community Work 152The Contribution of Family Partners to Collaborative Helping 159Relational Stance and Advocacy Efforts 161Power Dynamics in Working with the Larger Helping System 162Dilemmas in Advocacy Efforts 166Helping People More Effectively Advocate for Themselves 173In the End, It’s Still Walking and Talking 174Chapter 8 Sustainable Helping 177Using Collaborative Helping Maps to Enhance Supervision 177Building Institutional Structures that Support Collaboration 183Building Organizational Cultures that Support Collaboration 190A Brief Look Back 199References 203Index 209