A Practical Guide to Research and Services with Hidden Populations

This book introduces students and practitioners to issues related to treating hard-to-reach and under-served marginalized populations. Written in a manner accessible to all, this book addresses the rapidly changing field of mental health care and introduces the reader to key issues affecting such work in difficult environments. It treats topics such as how to conduct outreach, recruit persons outside the mainstream, and interview clients. The reader is given explicit directions for setting up systems to find and engage difficult to reach clients, establish collaborative working relationships among community-based organizations, and understand the need for structure in field settings and the ethical issues and community constraints affecting projects that operate outside the mainstream. For students and public health/social service professionals working with hard-to-reach populations. Also for social workers and counselors.

Stephanie Tortu is an associate professor in the Department of Community Health Science at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She conducts research on drug use and HIV prevention, specifically with urban populations. She has authored and co-authored numerous articles on these subjects.

Lloyd A. Goldsamt, Ph.D. is a New york State licensed clinical psychologist. He conducts HIV prevention research with inner city families and injection drug users, research on drug use and violence in schools, and research on the impact of substance abuse training curricula. Dr. Goldsamt also maintains a private psychotherapy practice.