Social Casework: A Problem-Solving Process--A Fresh, Unifying Approach to Casework Practice

This is a basic book in social casework. Its thesis is that among all the complexities within the subject matter and operations of casework there are certain constant elements, forces, and processes which give coherence and unity to its practice. Mrs. Perlman identifies and analyzes these constants and views them within the logical framework of problem-solving. In turn, problem-solving as a casework process is examined in its likeness to normal human problem-solving efforts. The result is an approach to learning and thinking about casework which is at once organized, synthesized, and imaginative. The book's usefulness is enhanced by the author's lucid and pointed style.

Helen Harris Perlman is the Samuel Deutsch Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus, in the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. She serves on the board of directors of the American Orthopsychiatric Association and the Council on Social Work Education. Her other books include Persona: Social Role and Personality (1968) and Relationship: The Heart of Helping People (1979), also published by the University of Chicago Press.