Abstract
A conceptual introduction sets forth the book’s aim: to guide clinical social work students (and practicing clinicians) to explore assessment from a range of theoretical frameworks, each with its own emphasis, limitations, and form of evidence, and to think critically about what each perspective has to offer, takes for granted, omits, and counts as knowledge. It begins by exploring the meaning of the key terms “critical thinking,” “diagnosis,” and “assessment” and draws on both theory and research to trace how these concepts have been addressed in social work education and practice. Following an overview of the book’s structure and content, including introduction to the case of Ray (a case that will be used throughout the chapters and analyzed from each clinical perspective), the introduction concludes with specific suggestions for educators about ways to use the book to develop complex, reflexive, and critical thinking in their students.
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Probst, B. (2015). Why This Book Is Needed. In: Probst, B. (eds) Critical Thinking in Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis. Essential Clinical Social Work Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17774-8_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17774-8_1
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