Social work practice and community mental health

Abstract

This study of social workers in mental health services reports on practitioners' descriptions of what they do as they perform their occupational roles and compares these descriptions with the social work role appropriate for community mental health practice. Subgroup comparisons are made-between those with the professional degree (MSW) and those without. A reported source of role strain for the group as a whole is the perceived need to broaden a clinical treatment orientation to include community organization methods.