David P. Moxley – författare

We live in a day and age in which many fields come together to define new ones, and out of these newly defined areas come innovative practices, and emergent ways of thinking. The Sourcebook on Rehabilitation and Mental Health Practice documents one of these new fields, one formed by the coalescence of rehabilitative and mental health services and employment. Only recently have human service practitioners, policy makers, and administrators recognized that there is a growing synergy among these areas once separated by great gulfs of differences in culture, perspectives and values, and technologies. It is not happenstance that rehabilitation, mental health, and employment are becoming increasingly integrated in contemporary human services. There is considerable interest in work in contemporary society although different values and perspectives mediate this interest. For people with disabilities, an interest in work often comes from deep frustration— from not having ready access to work, and from not having enough of it to facilitate an acce- able quality of life or independent living. Some people find work to be a source of problems that negatively affects their functioning. They find the workplace stressful and unsupportive, or they feel that work exacts too much from them, reducing their quality of life and setting into motion numerous negative personal effects (Beck, 2000).

We live in a day and age in which many fields come together to define new ones, and out of these newly defined areas come innovative practices, and emergent ways of thinking. The Sourcebook on Rehabilitation and Mental Health Practice documents one of these new fields, one formed by the coalescence of rehabilitative and mental health services and employment. Only recently have human service practitioners, policy makers, and administrators recognized that there is a growing synergy among these areas once separated by great gulfs of differences in culture, perspectives and values, and technologies. It is not happenstance that rehabilitation, mental health, and employment are becoming increasingly integrated in contemporary human services. There is considerable interest in work in contemporary society although different values and perspectives mediate this interest. For people with disabilities, an interest in work often comes from deep frustration— from not having ready access to work, and from not having enough of it to facilitate an acce- able quality of life or independent living. Some people find work to be a source of problems that negatively affects their functioning. They find the workplace stressful and unsupportive, or they feel that work exacts too much from them, reducing their quality of life and setting into motion numerous negative personal effects (Beck, 2000).

This book will advance readers’ understanding of the knowledge development, building and/or management process within human service organizations, informed by the author's experience in human service organizations, as consultant, and practitioner. Readers can come to understand the knowledge building process, and gain a conceptual framework in building organizational knowledge for the advancement of human services practice. The importance of knowledge management in social welfare and human service is twofold. Knowledge management is about an organization managing what it knows in order to achieve more competent and more effective performance. It also is about how domains and fields of practice may transform themselves over time through the purposeful creation and destruction of knowledge. Knowledge management can be a cornerstone of today’s human service and social welfare organizations and may be a principal strategy for effecting innovation and evolution in the ways societies address and meet human needs.

This book will advance readers’ understanding of the knowledge development, building and/or management process within human service organizations, informed by the author''s experience in human service organizations, as consultant, and practitioner. Readers can come to understand the knowledge building process, and gain a conceptual framework in building organizational knowledge for the advancement of human services practice. The importance of knowledge management in social welfare and human service is twofold. Knowledge management is about an organization managing what it knows in order to achieve more competent and more effective performance. It also is about how domains and fields of practice may transform themselves over time through the purposeful creation and destruction of knowledge. Knowledge management can be a cornerstone of today’s human service and social welfare organizations and may be a principal strategy for effecting innovation and evolution in the ways societies address and meet human needs.

This book provides a description of what a good human service organization is, and what it does. The author relies on a broad framework to define “good” and offers a fictional account as a methodology, using his considerable consulting and research experience in human service organizations as a content enriching approach to the case examples he presents in this volume. The book details the fictional story of Fifth Street, a non-governmental organization nested in a high-need community, which itself is hypothetical but reflects what is occurring within communities whose residents are struggling with poverty. The content of this fictional account leans on a synthesis of multiple case examples. This approach will appeal to faculty and students as well as practitioners who are seeking a grand example of how human service organizations can work effectively in high need contexts. Students will also gain from the ethical perspective the author presents in this monograph. This is a project of hope: one that can inspire us all practicing in human services to strive for the best in novel and innovative ways.

This book provides a description of what a good human service organization is, and what it does. The author relies on a broad framework to define “good” and offers a fictional account as a methodology, using his considerable consulting and research experience in human service organizations as a content enriching approach to the case examples he presents in this volume. The book details the fictional story of Fifth Street, a non-governmental organization nested in a high-need community, which itself is hypothetical but reflects what is occurring within communities whose residents are struggling with poverty. The content of this fictional account leans on a synthesis of multiple case examples. This approach will appeal to faculty and students as well as practitioners who are seeking a grand example of how human service organizations can work effectively in high need contexts. Students will also gain from the ethical perspective the author presents in this monograph. This is a project of hope: one that can inspire us all practicing in human services to strive for the best in novel and innovative ways.

This book captures the evolution of consumerism in the human services.  By addressing the changing roles and contributions of consumers (those working within human service organizations and systems and those working outside of those organizations and systems) the author offers an encompassing framework of consumerism.  This framework is multidimensional and incorporates multiple types and forms of consumerism.  The author offers a rationale for consumerism in the human services, illustrates its evolution, and considers multiple perspectives and models culminating in policy considerations, including specific strategies.  This book will equip consumers, survivors, practitioners, and policy makers with substantive knowledge of how to advance human services through action and innovation.

This book captures the evolution of consumerism in the human services.  By addressing the changing roles and contributions of consumers (those working within human service organizations and systems and those working outside of those organizations and systems) the author offers an encompassing framework of consumerism.  This framework is multidimensional and incorporates multiple types and forms of consumerism.  The author offers a rationale for consumerism in the human services, illustrates its evolution, and considers multiple perspectives and models culminating in policy considerations, including specific strategies.  This book will equip consumers, survivors, practitioners, and policy makers with substantive knowledge of how to advance human services through action and innovation.