Social Work Practice in Nontraditional Urban Settings

In an era of dimishing resources, communities which have historically been served by professionals in established social service settings can no longer rely on outside assistance to meet their needs. Social Work Practice in Non-Traditional Urban Settings suggests that many of these communities can be best served through their own, already-established recreational, social, and cultural centers, and shows how professional social workers can use these non-traditional settings - bars, beauty shops, and bathhouses - to reach out to the communities they are trying to help. This allows social work service to be based on the community's own strengths, and develops the community's capacity to help itself with assistance from professionals. Delgado offers a dramatic paradigm shift for social workers, showing that service delivery can take place in any setting, formal or informal, and emphasizing an integrated multicultural perspective.