An Introduction to Family Social Work celebrates social work's proud history as the first professional group to work with families. The #1 bestselling book on the market for family practice, this book is written for BSW and MSW students who are employed in agencies that do not offer traditional office-based family therapy. Many beginning and community-based social workers are employed in agencies that provide support, teaching, and concrete services to families experiencing a wide spectrum of needs and problems. These services are provided in the community and client's home, not in the office. Such settings include child welfare, women's shelters, family support, mental health, schools, and prisons. An Introduction to Family Social Work provides an overview of initial work with families and multiple generations from a generalist perspective. This book draws from the rich theoretical base of family therapy literature and translates working with families into practical, hands-on, social work practice. It also incorporates a family-in-environment approach, so that social workers can tap into social environmental resources as needed.