THE SOCIAL WORK SKILLS WORKBOOK, Eighth Edition, enables students to develop proficiency in professionalism and the essential social work skills. Each skill supports one or more of the 43 knowledge and value statements and the 31 practice behaviors that elaborate the core competencies in the 2015 EPAS of the CSWE. The skills also align with nationally standardized licensing exams. The text includes expository content grounded in contemporary research, assessment tools and processes, and strong experiential components that help students get a realistic sense of the field. Case examples, summaries, and skill-building exercises cultivate students' professionalism and expertise as confident, ethical, and effective helpers. Current social issues are evident throughout. The perforated three-hole-punch format can be used as a main text in social work skills labs, a resource for field or internship courses, or a supplement to social work methods and practice courses.

Preface.
Goals.
Acknowledgments.
Dedication.
Part I: PROFESSIONALISM.
1. Introduction.
2. Introduction to Professionalism.
3. Critical Thinking, Scientific Inquiry, and Lifelong Learning.
4. Diversity and Difference: Human Rights; Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice; and Policy-Practice.
5. Social Work Values and Ethical Decision-Making.
PART II: SOCIAL WORK SKILLS.
6. Talking and Listening -- The Basic Interpersonal Skills.
7. Preparing.
8. Beginning.
9. Exploring.
10. Assessing.
11. Contracting.
12. Working and Evaluating.
13. Ending.
APPENDICES.
1. The Social Work Skills Learning Portfolio.
2. The Social Work Skills Test (Part 1 and Part 2).
3. The Social Work Skills Self-Appraisal Questionnaire.
4. The Critical Thinking Questionnaire.
5. The Lifelong Learning Questionnaire.
6. The Interview Rating Forms -- Client Version.
7. Experiential Interview Exercise -- Guidelines and Forms.
8. Alphabetized List of Feeling Words.
9. Description, Assessment, and Contract (DAC): Lynn Chase.
10. The Social Work Skills Interview Rating Form.
11. Table of Social Work Skills.
12. Table of Social Work Skills Supporting the EPAS Competencies.
13. Self-Appraisal of Proficiency: EPAS Competency-Based Knowledge and Values, and Practice Behaviors.
14. Self-Appraisal of Proficiency in the ASWB Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Bachelor's Level).
15. Self-Appraisal of Proficiency in the ASWB Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Master's Level).

THE SOCIAL WORK SKILLS WORKBOOK, Eighth Edition, enables students to develop proficiency in professionalism and the essential social work skills. Each skill supports one or more of the 43 knowledge and value statements and the 31 practice behaviors that elaborate the core competencies in the 2015 EPAS of the CSWE. The skills also align with nationally standardized licensing exams. The text includes expository content grounded in contemporary research, assessment tools and processes, and strong experiential components that help students get a realistic sense of the field. Case examples, summaries, and skill-building exercises cultivate students' professionalism and expertise as confident, ethical, and effective helpers. Current social issues are evident throughout. The perforated three-hole-punch format can be used as a main text in social work skills labs, a resource for field or internship courses, or a supplement to social work methods and practice courses. The appendices contain updated assessment instruments -- including the two-part Social Work Skills Test; the Social Work Skills Self-Appraisal Questionnaire; the Interview Rating Form (Client Version); the Social Work Skills Interview Rating Form; and the Self-Appraisal of Proficiency in the EPAS Competency-Based Knowledge and Values, and Practice Behaviors. This edition contains updated and enhanced sections related to social, economic, and environmental justice. Specific topics include mass incarceration, the nation's increasing economic inequality and decreasing social mobility, discrimination, militarization of police departments and police brutality, wage theft, and climate change. The social work values and ethics chapter contains an entirely new case study involving suspicion of boundary violations between a social worker and client. Students learn how a complex allegation of professional boundary violations can be investigated, analyzed, and addressed. This edition includes new skills related to (a) accessing places of peace and communicating in a language of peace; and (b) linking people to people, people to systems, and systems to systems -- for the purposes of social support, advocacy, and policy-practice. THE SOCIAL WORK SKILLS WORKBOOK successfully merges a textbook and a workbook in a clear and engaging format, helping students effectively learn to use 74 essential social work skills from a perspective of professionalism. Each of the social work skills supports one or more of the 43 knowledge and value statements (KVs) and the 31 practice behaviors (PBs) that elaborate the nine core competencies presented in the most recent (2015) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The skills also support much of the knowledge and many of the skills and abilities addressed in the nationally standardized licensing exams sponsored by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). Before learning about and practicing the social work skills, students develop proficiency in 10 dimensions of professionalism: integrity; self-understanding and self-control; knowledge, expertise, and self-efficacy; social support and well-being; critical thinking and scientific inquiry; lifelong learning; diversity and difference; human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice; policy-practice; and social work values and ethics. Each chapter begins with learning goals and specifies the core EPAS competencies to be addressed. Chapters in Part II include a description of each social work skill, along with one or more examples and exercises that allow students to rehearse and practice the skill. Illustrative cases are drawn from a variety of service settings and circumstances and reflect diversity of age, gender, sexual orientation, and racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic status. Each chapter concludes with a two-part self-appraisal of learning. Application exercises are included in each chapter. Students learn to apply skills in helping specific client systems throughout all seven phases of practice: preparing, beginning, exploring, assessing, contracting, working and evaluating, and ending. Additional exercises encourage students to prepare their own assessment -- as if they were their own social workers. A major exercise requires students to practice skills with another person who has consented to serve as a "practice client." Appendices provide guidance and additional self-assessment and learning opportunities.