An Introduction to the Profession of Social Work: Becoming a Change Agent

What does it mean to be a social worker? Get an overview of the social work profession and learn about the role of the social worker in the social welfare system with Segal, Gerdes and Steiner's text. Through case studies, personal stories and exercises, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROFESSION OF SOCIAL WORK helps you apply concepts as well as understand what social workers do, what they need to know and the issues they face. Part of the Brooks/Cole Empowerment Series, the sixth edition is completely up to date. It also prepares you for a successful career by integrating the core competencies and recommended practice behaviors outlined in the most recent Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) set by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Elizabeth A. Segal is a professor emerita of Arizona State University's School of Social Work. Along with this text, Dr. Segal has multiple publications, including an introduction to social work text, two books on empathy and numerous journal articles. She is a co-founder and an editor emeritus of the Journal of Poverty. Her areas of research and interest include inequality, social justice and social empathy.

Karen Gerdes is Professor Emeritus at the Arizona State University School of Social Work. Her research interests include empathy, empathy measurement and conation. Many of Dr. Gerdes' 36 publications focus on how students learn and process information. She was recognized with a university-wide Faculty Achievement Award as an Outstanding Professor in Undergraduate Education in 2010.

Sue Steiner is Professor at California State University, Chico School of Social Work. Her areas of interest include macro practice/community organizing, social welfare policy and teaching effectiveness. She is a coauthor of a book on self-care in social work and has published articles in numerous journals.