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The article states that the traditional linear, psychodynamic models of therapy are not as effective as multi-level systemic family therapy for treating the urban poor or those families who live in a world of disorganization and chaos. A systemic approach is presented which may end the need for the continual tying and untying in the mental health field. The Chaos Theory is described. Social workers must advocate for a national family policy. They need to reassess their own thinking about health and illness, especially with regard to the multicultural imperatives of the late Twentieth Century.

The article explores the loss and identity themes that emerge around adoption. It will discuss implications for family-centered practice and interventive strategies and illustrate them through case examples drawn from general family centered practice. It will focus primarily on infant adoption and its impact on adoptees, birth parents, and those close to them. There are efforts in many U.S. states to open adoption records when an adoptee attains maturity. However, such efforts have been unsuccessful in most states.

The article examines the interaction of shame and violence in couples. The definitions of shame, types of shame cycles and how shame effects male development are presented. Several authors have undertaken the task of clarification regarding the dynamics of shame. Men and women differ in how they experience shame. A study showed that men are more likely candidates for guilt, while women are more prone to shame.

The article presents a three step approach to reunification of the family after foster placement. This approach targets those families with children under 14 years of age. The approach involves sibling therapy where the children learn to recognize their role in returning home, mothers' group therapy where mothers learn to be more competent as a parent and family therapy where mother and children meet together paying attention to issues specifically related to improving the chance of reunification.

The article examines the ways in which bureaucratically designated community living situations can be considered both as families and as mechanism of social control. The social construct of the community residence is examined and illustrated how a single term like community residence can hide oppositions and power differences. It is important for social workers to understand that their daily social practice depends on such social constructs which cloak power and repressiveness from their awareness.

The article presents information on a study which focuses on the treatment of homeless substance abusers in Milawaukee, Wisconsin. While many homeless attribute their loss of housing to substance abuse problems, others cite their homeless condition as a cause of their substance abuse. Problems associated with homelessness include high unemployment due to the poor economy and unmet mental health problems due to the emptying of the psychiatric institutions. Details of the study performed at the Saint Benedict the Moor meal program and at various sites are provided.

This paper describes the major roles and purposes of home based work with families. The ability of the home based worker to assess and intervene directly in and on behalf of the family's environment is emphasized. Both the social environment and the physical environment of the home and neighborhood are discussed. Specific practice principles which include and make use of environmental features are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article emphasizes the need for an ecosystemic approach to address AIDS in the African-American community. There is a need for ecosystemic AIDS prevention and care programs in inner cities that are community based and directed. The meaning of AIDS for the community of people of color should be well understood in order to create effective inner city AIDS prevention and education programs. However, social work has always had a thread of political activism in its sub specialty of community organization.

The article discusses the usefulness of family systems theory and practice concepts in the training of social workers in public welfare. This is a three-day course under the supervision of the Boston University School of Social Work and was developed with an awareness of the population served. Because many public welfare recipients live under difficult conditions, an emphasis was given on teaching workers to look for positives. Judged as the most helpful parts of the course is the use of eco-map and examples of ways of positively influencing attitudes of clients about themselves.

The article presents information on how to teach family systems therapy to social work students. It is difficult to teach masters level social work students systemic family therapy because they are asked to learn a new way of thinking while exploring their reactions to this learning as compared to a client family's reactions. Students must respectfully listen to each other, and not comment, editorialize or make brilliant insights as they make personal connections with systemic theory. Throughout the course the students become less fearful as they share their thoughts and experiences with each other.

The article presents a professional training model that recognizes the special needs of therapists who work with underorganized families, particularly among the poor and minorities. Several factors have undermined the basic structure of the underorganized family. It is, therefore, understandable that poor, underorganized family is susceptible to the social evils of its community. An outline for a personal-social-clinical training program based on the Aponte/Winter model and elements of Pinderhughes' model is presented.

The article discusses how a dean can use parts of systemic thinking to establish a specific work-place atmosphere for a school of social work. Relational systems thinking serves as the basis for a wide range of notions about dealing with the administrative problems facing social work deans. The same systemic elements can be applied in both the academic work place and the family therapy situation. Several guiding principles for a deanship emerge when the multi-level dynamics relating to personal, interpersonal and context are examined.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue including one by Ray Bardill on family/systemic concepts which are significant across the various hierarchies in the work family and an article about a model for teaching family systems in a graduate school of social work.