Abstract
Social workers are the major providers of mental health services in the United States, yet the profession has been reluctant to include recovering consumers in its ranks. This article contrasts social work's historic focus on the deficits believed to be inherent in colleagues' history of psychiatric disorder with an empowerment perspective. The article describes perceived risks and benefits to clients when the social worker has a history of a psychiatric disorder. It reviews recovering consumers' successful roles as paraprofessionals in mental health services delivery as a demonstration of the strengths consumers bring to the mental health field. Finally, it identifies barriers to social work employment faced by the social worker who has a history of a psychiatric disability.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 75-83 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Social Work |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Jan 2002 |
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Keywords
- Empowerment
- NASWCode of Ethics
- Psychiatric disability
- Social work profession
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Cite this
Is Social Work's Door Open to People Recovering from Psychiatric Disabilities? / Stromwall, Layne K.
In: Social Work, Vol. 47, No. 1, 01.2002, p. 75-83.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Is Social Work's Door Open to People Recovering from Psychiatric Disabilities?
AU - Stromwall, Layne K.
PY - 2002/1
Y1 - 2002/1
N2 - Social workers are the major providers of mental health services in the United States, yet the profession has been reluctant to include recovering consumers in its ranks. This article contrasts social work's historic focus on the deficits believed to be inherent in colleagues' history of psychiatric disorder with an empowerment perspective. The article describes perceived risks and benefits to clients when the social worker has a history of a psychiatric disorder. It reviews recovering consumers' successful roles as paraprofessionals in mental health services delivery as a demonstration of the strengths consumers bring to the mental health field. Finally, it identifies barriers to social work employment faced by the social worker who has a history of a psychiatric disability.
AB - Social workers are the major providers of mental health services in the United States, yet the profession has been reluctant to include recovering consumers in its ranks. This article contrasts social work's historic focus on the deficits believed to be inherent in colleagues' history of psychiatric disorder with an empowerment perspective. The article describes perceived risks and benefits to clients when the social worker has a history of a psychiatric disorder. It reviews recovering consumers' successful roles as paraprofessionals in mental health services delivery as a demonstration of the strengths consumers bring to the mental health field. Finally, it identifies barriers to social work employment faced by the social worker who has a history of a psychiatric disability.
KW - Empowerment
KW - NASWCode of Ethics
KW - Psychiatric disability
KW - Social work profession
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036363175&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036363175&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
VL - 47
SP - 75
EP - 83
JO - Social Work (United States)
JF - Social Work (United States)
SN - 0037-8046
IS - 1
ER -