Compulsive Behavior, Psychology & Counseling, Behavioral Sciences, Clinical Psychology, Counseling, Poverty, Social Work, Psychotherapy, Psychopathology 

Working with Families of the Poor criticizes the individualized, medical-model-centered, uncoordinated state of human service delivery to poor families and outlines a philosophy for an alternative “family systems approach,” which puts faith in the strength of poor families, sees the family structure as an essential part of treatment, and integrates the work of different service agencies. The first part of the book outlines the authors’ philosophy and explains how it can be used to work within the system and to change it. In the second part, the authors apply their approach to interventions in different settings – foster care, substance abuse and pregnancy, children’s residential centers, children’s psychiatric wards, and home-based services. In every case, the authors emphasize that family is a profoundly important part of clients’ lives that can be harnessed as a powerful treatment tool or, if ignored, can interfere with treatment goals.