-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
Graham Munn, The Strengths Model: Case Management with People with Psychiatric Disabilities (2nd edn), Charles A. Rapp and Richard J. Goscha, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 320, ISBN 0–19–518285–9, £32.99, The British Journal of Social Work, Volume 37, Issue 2, February 2007, Pages 358–359, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcm003
- Share Icon Share
Extract
This is the second edition of a book that already had had considerable positive praise in the way it tackled its subject of using a ‘strengths approach’ to what it describes as ‘case management’ within mental health service practices. Although written with the US case management system in mind, the book has considerable relevance to mental health practices across the world, including the concepts and practices involved in the recovery approach. The authors make a strong case for seeing the strengths model as recovery-oriented and relevant. They describe the recovery approach lucidly and with conviction to the extent that one could be forgiven for interpreting the Strengths Model and the recovery concepts and practices as being synonymous.
The authors describe the origins of the Strengths Model, beginning with their work in the early 1980s at Kansas University, when they became aware of what they saw as the ineffectualness and irrelevance of case management practices at that time to the aim of helping clients achieve what they themselves wanted. This focused them on looking for and developing practices that would help achieve this which, in turn, highlighted how critical the strengths of the individual and community were to positive outcomes. The Strengths Model has been refined over time and applied to various areas of social work. It has been used in employment support, care of the elderly, community development and family, and young people projects, finally being adopted by the University of Kansas School of Social Work as one of its core curriculum subjects.