The Life Model of Social Work Practice

The Life Model of Social Work Practice was the first textbook to introduce the ecological perspective into social work practice. This fourth edition brings it up to date by expanding and deepening this perspective, integrating contemporary theory and research findings with numerous case illustrations drawn from a wide range of practice contexts.

Alex Gitterman is professor of social work at the University of Connecticut. His Columbia University Press books include Mutual Aid Groups, Vulnerable and Resilient Populations, and the Life Cycle, third edition (2005) and Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable Populations, third edition (2014). He is also the coeditor of The Encyclopedia of Social Work with Groups (2009) and Mental Health and Social Problems: A Social Work Perspective (2010).

Carolyn Knight is professor emerita of social work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is coeditor of Trauma-Informed Supervision in a Global Context (2019) and Group Work with Populations at Risk, fourth edition (2016) and the author of Introduction to Working with Adult Survivors of Childhood Trauma (2009).

Carel B. Germain (1916–1995) was professor emerita of social work at the University of Connecticut. Her books include Human Behavior in the Social Environment: An Ecological View, second edition (Columbia, 1999).

Manny John González, Florida Atlantic University:
This thoughtfully updated fourth edition of The Life Model of Social Work Practice provides a transactional bridge between the person and the social environment that honors the profession’s commitment to individual change and social reform. The critically relevant integrated practice model in this text will serve as a much-needed compass for social work in unprecedented and complex times.

Marion Bogo, author of Social Work Practice: Integrating Concepts, Processes, and Skills:
The fourth edition of The Life Model of Social Work Practice, a towering classic in the field, remains highly relevant for contemporary issues facing society and social workers. This text should be required in all schools of social work as it elegantly integrates the levels of practice that distinguish our profession.

Robert Miller, editor of The Qualitative Research in Social Work:
The efficacy of The Life Model of Social Work Practice spans generations. In 1999, as a doctoral student, I used it to examine Black gay men’s management of HIV. Today, my MSW students use it to examine oppression, COVID-19, and other impediments to environmental fit. This book is helpful in understanding the human condition.

Carol S. Cohen, board member, Council on Social Work Education:
This welcome new edition of The Life Model of Social Work Practice does an excellent job of assessing and sharing recent advances without losing the integrity of the life model approach. The practice examples, dilemmas, and scenarios are highly engaging, drawing readers into the application of key skills and strategies.

Maurice S. Fisher Outpatient Services, P.C., Roanoke, Virginia:
Although a lengthy effort with 756 pages, [this fourth edition of The Life Model of Social Work Practice] is an enjoyable book made possible through the authors' treatment practicality and use of many practice vignettes and practical case examples. Social workers in general will find this book useful with an array of client examples, and the social group workers will equally find the book helpful along with the identification of some impediments that the latter practitioners uniquely face.