Working with Communities in Health and Human Services

Working with Communities in Health and Human Services combines theory and concepts for understanding the nature and different types of communities with practical skills for working with communities. It embeds community participation within social science theory about community and participation, providing students with the concepts and the practical tools for increasing community participation in health and human services settings. Activities and case studies throughout the book are drawn from community health and social care practice and are used to illustrate the principles, approaches, and issues related to working with communities. The activities, when used in conjunction with the 'reflective practice' approach, demonstrate that there are different ways to practice. The importance of adapting concepts and practical skills to people's experiences is a core theme in the text and provides the basis for learning, and working effectively with communities.