How Does Foster Care Work? is an international collection of empirical studies on the outcomes of children in foster care. Drawing on research and perspectives from leading international figures in children's services across the developed world, the book provides an evidence base for programme planning, policy and practice. This volume establishes a platform for comparison of international systems, trends and outcomes in foster care today. Each contributor provides a commentary on one other chapter to highlight the global significance of issues affecting children and young people in care. Each chapter offers new ideas about how foster care could be financed, delivered or studied in order to become more effective. This book is important reading for anyone involved in delivering child welfare services, such as administrators, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, children's advocates, academics and students.
The principles and practice of diagnostics are key to administering effective treatment in traditional Chinese medicine. The ability to recognise and diagnose symptoms and complaints correctly is fundamental to deciding on appropriate remedies, and this book provides a comprehensive introduction to all the principles that students and practitioners need to know. The authors outline the key methods used in diagnosis, and describe the eight basic categories of ailment and disease: yin and yang, exterior and interior, cold and heat, and deficiency and excess. They provide detailed instructions on how to identify and rebalance the relative strengths of pathogens and Qi in the body, and how to differentiate between syndromes that might look the same, using traditional Chinese medicine methods. The book concludes with useful forms for completion in taking a diagnosis. Combining practical instruction with detailed theory, this authoritative textbook, compiled by the China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center (CBIATC), under the editorial direction of leading Chinese clinicians Zhu Bing and Wang Hongcai, is an excellent reference for students and practitioners at all levels.
Traditional Chinese medicine has a long and complex history, yet the basic principles at the heart of practice have remained the same for hundreds of years. Without a solid understanding of these fundamental theories, effective practice is impossible, and this book provides a complete introduction to everything that students and practitioners, both new and experienced, need to know. The book describes and explains all of the fundamental principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including yin/yang, the five elements, the 'zang and fu' organs, Zang Xiang, Qi, and the meridians and collaterals of the body. Explaining not only the principles upon which these elements work, but also how they interrelate, the book describes how they can be used in practice to identify, treat and prevent ill-health and disease. This thorough and accessible textbook, compiled by the China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center (CBIATC), under the editorial directorship of leading Chinese clinicians Zhu Bing and Wang Hongcai, is essential reading for students of traditional Chinese medicine, and is also a useful basic reference for TCM practitioners.
Around three quarters of people who turn to adoption do so because of infertility and those working in this field need information, guidance and support to assist them in the process of adoption to support the adopters and to deal with any issues that may result from infertility. Adopting after Infertility is an accessible and informative interdisciplinary book that addresses the issues that professionals working with adopters and the adopters themselves face when going through the adoption process and the impact of infertility on their experiences. The book includes chapters on the effects of infertility, why people may choose adoption and the assessment and preparation process. It also covers what an Adoption Panel needs to know about the prospective parents, the experiences of those coming to adoption from minority communities or when living with health conditions and post-adoption support needs. Personal accounts by people who have experienced adopting after infertility are included throughout the book. This book will be essential reading for professionals and academics from a range of disciplines including social work, psychology, health, mental health and counselling. It will also be invaluable to students studying for post-qualifying awards.
Growing up with a sibling on the autistic spectrum can be difficult, and the needs of a child with autism often overwhelm a family, leaving neurotypical children feeling overshadowed. For the first time, the 'neurotypical' siblings get to have their say. They recount the good, the bad, and the downright annoying in a way that all young people in a similar situation will immediately recognise. Young siblings of all ages candidly recount how being 'the neurotypical one' can be tiring, frustrating, and lonely, but equally rewarding, and every story is injected with wisdom gained by young people who often have to grow up a lot more quickly than their peers. This book is essential reading for children and teenagers with a sibling on the autistic spectrum, and for parents wishing to understand how autism in the family will affect their neurotypical child.
Biochemical imbalances caused by nutritional deficiencies are a contributory factor in chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, auto-immune conditions and cancer. This handbook for practitioners explains how to identify and treat such biochemical imbalances in order to better understand and manage a patient's ill-health. The book examines a range of biochemical imbalances, including compromised adrenal or thyroid function, gastro-intestinal imbalances, immune system problems and sex hormone imbalances, and explains how and why such states occur. It pulls together a wide range of evidence to show how such imbalances are involved in the most common chronic diseases. It helps practitioners to understand how to identify the imbalances through appropriate case history taking and laboratory testing, and how to design and implement effective nutritional interventions. Developed by leading academics and practitioners in the fields of nutritional therapy and functional medicine, this evidence-informed approach can be used with all patients who present in clinic, regardless of whether or not they have a 'named medical condition'. In the final chapter, a case example illustrates how to use the theoretical information in the practice of treating patients with chronically compromised health. Biochemical Imbalances in Disease is an essential text for nutritional therapy practitioners, as well as for students, and will be welcomed by complementary and conventional healthcare practitioners alike.
The issue of 'recovery' has been increasingly prioritised by policymakers in recent years, but the meaning of the concept remains ambiguous. This edited collection brings together the thoughts and experiences of researchers, practitioners and service users from the fields of health, addiction and criminal justice and centres on current developments in addiction policy and practice. Tackling Addiction examines what recovery, addiction and dependence really mean, not only to the professional involved in rehabilitation but also to each individual client, and how 'coerced treatment' fails to take account of recovery as a long-term and ongoing process. Chapters cover the influence of crime and public health in UK drug policy; the ongoing emphasis on substitute prescribing; the role of recovery groups and communities; and gendered differences in the recovery process and implications for responses aimed at supporting women. Tackling Addiction will be essential reading for practitioners, researchers, policy makers and students in the fields of addiction, social care, psychology and criminal justice.
Health and social care practitioners are increasingly called upon to provide care to elderly people from a number of different faiths and cultures. This collection of essays examines ageing in the context of the many faiths and cultures that make up Western society, and provides carers with the knowledge they need to deliver sensitive and appropriate care to people of all faiths. Chapters are written by authoritative figures from each of the world's major faith groups about the beliefs and practices of their older people. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Buddhist perspectives are covered, as well as those of ageing veterans and ageing religious sisters. Issues of appropriate care are also addressed, and the book includes recommendations for policy and practice. This accessible and inspiring book will be a useful text for academics, policy makers and practitioners in health and social care, aged care workers, pastoral carers, chaplains and religious professionals, in hospital, residential and other care settings.
Professional values in healthcare are in a state of constant and increasingly rapid change. While all professions now emphasise teamwork and collegiality in practice, fewer are inclined to consider shared or differing values across professions. This interdisciplinary volume explains how health care professions and their values have changed over the last forty years, charting where they have come from, where they are now, and how they might develop in the future. There is coverage of a wide range of different professions within healthcare, from GPs, mental health nurses, adult nurses and pharmacists, to NHS managers and chaplains. Chapters are followed by critical responses from senior healthcare practitioners. This original and insightful book will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers, senior healthcare professionals and healthcare managers.
Substance misuse and its pervasive problems is a constant challenge for social work, health and related professionals today. With heightened political and policy emphasis on all aspects of substance misuse, it is paramount that professionals remain up-to-date on current issues and their responsibilities. Based on research and evidence, this book provides a sound basis for grounded and innovative practice. Leading international contributors outline holistic and specialist approaches to policy and practice, and highlight the shift in emphasis from immediate risk minimisation to long-term recovery, the importance of prevention and the pivotal role of workforce development. Issues surrounding work with children and families affected by substance misuse are explored, and ways of implementing new approaches revealed. The book also looks at the impact of the smoking ban in Scotland, and suggests ways to support tobacco use cessation. This book is essential reading for all front-line practitioners working with substance misusers, including social work, health professionals and counsellors.