Social Work Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People

Book excerpt: A new, more comprehensive edition of the classic Social Work text Although the vast majority of LGBT persons are healthy, resilient, and hardy individuals who do not seek social work intervention, some have been or will be clients in social work agencies. Social Work Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People is the updated classic text that has expanded its scope to include new content on practice with bisexual and transgender populations—and incorporated this content throughout. This informative book provides a knowledge base of practice that will better prepare students and practitioners for working sensitively, competently, and effectively with LGBT individuals. The text now covers content on LGBT populations as articulated by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Comprehensive and practical, this unique text discusses the pragmatic aspects of social work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. It will improve and reinforce competent practice with LGBT persons and their families in multiple settings. Chapters focus on important topics such as: the profession’s core values and ethical principles identifying, analyzing, and resolving ethically challenging practice problems LGBT persons of color—heterosexism, racism, and sexism applying the life model and the stress-coping process the root of conflicts in allegiances and pressures for unity via homogeneity practice with bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming persons sexual conversion therapy traditional psychoanalytic notions of lesbian couples the impact of sexual abuse on lesbian couples internalized homophobia, heterocentrism, and gay identity group work practice with the LGBTQ community clinical assessment for families where sexual orientation is an issue LGBT parenting the role of health care and many more! Complete with a highly detailed appendix of symbols, definitions, and terms, Social Work Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People, is an invaluable resource for social workers and mental health professionals as well as for students and educators at all levels of experience.