EPAS Standards

Competency 1: Identify as a professional social worker and conduct oneself accordingly.

Since this is an interdisciplinary text, I don’t think it’s really about becoming a professional social worker in the way this standard is constructed.

Competency 2: Apply social work ethical principles to guide professional practice.

I don’t this book speaks about the Code of Ethics in such a direct way. Same issue as per above.

Competency 3: Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional   judgments.

Chapter 5: Community Mental Health: Innovations in Diversion from Prosecution of People with Mental Illness. Kirk Heilbrun and Anne Bingham: Chapter critically evaluates efficacy of multiple approaches to interventions w/ forensic mentally ill. Chapter 1: Recovery and Stigma in People with Serious Mental Illness. Patrick W. Corrigan and Eun-Jeong Lee: Chapter provides excellent theoretical analysis of stigma/recovery which is linked to practice.

Competency 4: Engage diversity and difference in practice.

The entire book addresses issues of diversity but see specifically chapter 2: LGBT, section 4: this section is on diversity: Chapter 9. African Americans and Mental Health Services. Alma Carten Chapter 10:  Community Mental Health Services to Asian-Americans. Russell F. Lim, Hendry

Competency 5: Advance human rights and social and economic justice.

Chapter 12. Community Mental Health: Cross Cultural Mental Health Response in Disasters. April Naturale: addresses global issues of social justice. Chapter 18. Mental Health Leadership in a Turbulent World. W. Patrick Sullivan: Links eco/social justice to mental health care.

Competency 6: Engage in research-informed practice and practice-informed research.

This section: Section V: Best Practices in Community Mental Health is about research informed practice.

  • Chapter 13 - excellent presentation of research protocols to treat mentally ill.
  • Chapter 14 - research based treatment of substance abuse/mental illness, dually diagnosed.
  • Chapter 15 – neuropsychiatric research and practice.
  • Chapter 16 – evidenced based research about the homeless/substance abuse

Competency 7: Apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment.

Section III: Community Mental Health Across the Life Cycle has the best fit for this standard. See chapters:

  • 6. Community Mental Health with Children and Youth. Katherine Krase.
  • 7. Family Psychoeducation in the Treatment of Mental Illness: Historical Context, Current Practice and Future Directions. Sarah Lynch, Nelma Mason, William McFarlane.
  • 8. Meeting the Mental Health Challenges of the Elder Boom. Michael B. Friedman, Kimberly Williams, Emily Kidder, and Lisa Furst.

Competency 8: Engage in policy practice to advance social and economic well-being and to deliver effective social work services.

Excellent overview of policy and relationship to practice is in 17. Community Mental Health Policy. Eileen Klein

Competency 9: Respond to contexts that shape practice.

Section II: Emerging Trends in Community Mental Health – both chapters in this section do this well: The one on the military (chapter 40 is a great discussion of impact of war/trauma and need for practice. And the other one is also cutting edge re: mental health forensic – arguably one of the largest challenges in Comm. MH today.

4. Emerging Community Mental Health Challenges: Meeting the Needs of Veterans and Families Impacted by Military Service. Marilyn L. Flynn, Anthony Hassan, and Kathleen West. 5. Community Mental Health: Innovations in Diversion from Prosecution

The four competencies below especially 10/a/b/c are about practice and I recommend this chapter which is written by one the giants in the field and the person who developed the psychoed model: chapter 7: Family Psychoeducation in the Treatment of Mental Illness: Historical Context, Current Practice and Future Directions. Sarah Lynch, Nelma Mason, William McFarlane.

Competency 10A: Engagement

10B: Assessment

10C: Intervention

10D: Evaluation