The Social Work Experience: An Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfarehelps students to understand how social workers use their professional expertise to help people solve a wide variety of problems and improve their lives. It not only introduces the profession of social work and its fields of practice, but also provides students with a clear understanding of social welfare policy, its history and contemporary issues. The fifth edition contains three major parts: The first part,Social Work and its Context, introduces professional social work, discusses theoretical perspectives for generalist practice, and guides students in their understanding of poverty and populations-at-risk. The second part,Professional Practice Settings, offers an in-depth discussion of eight fields of practice: family and childrenrs"s services, mental health, health care, schools, substance abuse, older adult services, criminal justice, and developmental disabilities. The third and final part of the text,A Look to the Future, views the future of the profession through the eyes of futurists and highlights the challenges and opportunities that await social workers.