Handbook for Social Work Writing

This concise, accessible, and engaging handbook offers a companion for social work students to acquire professional and competency-based writing skills. Written by experienced educators, the book builds writing proficiency by introducing a social work-based guide to academic writing and professional communication. Each chapter addresses a specific area of social work writing and development, progressing from coursework and beginning fieldwork to practice-based assessments and reports. The authors integrate a series of scaffolded activities throughout for readers to cultivate awareness and further technique; and with sections explaining contemporary communication methods and common writing challenges, readers will be prepared to use technology both to strengthen their writing and to ease the overall process.

Excellent for use in courses across the social work curriculum and as a personal guide, the Handbook for Social Work Writing provides students with on-the-spot guidance for any type of academic or professional writing assignment.

Introduction: Getting the Most Out of This Handbook for Social Work Writing 1. Writing for Social Work Courses 2. Writing for the Field: Write Like a Professional Social Worker 3. Other Forms of Communication 4. Using Technology to Make Writing Easier 5. The Basics of APA Writing Style 6. Common Writing Challenges 7. Skills in Support of Critical Writing Appendix A: Example of a Well-Written Paper Appendix B: Commonly Used Acronyms Appendix C: Sample Resume

Susan E. Mason, PhD, MSSW, is Professor of Social Work at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University in New York City. The author of over 40 peer-reviewed articles and multiple books, Dr. Mason has published extensively in the fields of schizophrenia, cultural diversity, health and hospital practice, and social work education. She has been editor-in-chief of Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, and has also served on other editorial boards throughout her career. On the faculty at Yeshiva University for over 20 years, Dr. Mason teaches courses in social work research, evidence-based practice, and mental health. Prior to her appointment at Yeshiva, she was a clinical social worker and researcher at Long Island Jewish Medical Center for eight years.

Wendy Zeitlin, PhD, MSW, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work and Child Advocacy at Montclair State University, where she teaches writing-intensive courses in diversity, research methods, and practice-based research. Dr. Zeitlin has held academic appointments at Yeshiva University and Montclair State University. Her scholarly interests focus on public health social work with an emphasis on disabilities and access to services for historically marginalized populations. She has authored over 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Zeitlin is the author of Basic Statistics for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Using R (Oxford, 2019), and the co-author of two other titles on research methods.