An interdisciplinary framework for sustainable helping through cross-system collaboration This hands-on resource provides clear, practical guidance for supportive service professionals working in a home-based environment. Drawing on best practices from a range of disciplines, this book provides a clear map for dealing with the complex and often ambiguous situations that arise with individuals and families, with applications extending to supervision and organizational change. Readers gain the advice and insight of real-world frontline helpers, as well as those who receive care, highlighting new ways to approach the work and re-think previous conceptualizations of problems and strengths. Helping efforts are organized around a shared, forward-thinking vision that anticipates obstacles and draws on existing and potential supports in developing a collaborative plan of action. The book begins with stories that illustrate core concepts and context, presenting a number of useful ideas that can reorient behavioral services while outlining a principle-based practice framework to help workers stay grounded and focused. Problems are addressed, and strength-based work is expanded into richer conversations about strengths in the context of intention and purpose, value and belief, hopes, dreams, and commitments. Topics include: Contextual guidance with helping maps Engaging people and re-thinking problems and strengths Dilemmas in home and community services Sustainable helping through collaboration and support A strong collaboration between natural networks, communities, and trained professionals across systems creates an effective helping endeavor. Ensuring sustainability may involve promoting systems change, and building institutional supports for specific supervisory, management, and organizational practices. Collaborative Helping provides a framework for organizing these efforts into a coherent whole, serving the needs of supportive services workers across sectors.

An interdisciplinary framework for sustainable helping throughcross-system collaborationThis hands-on resource provides clear, practical guidance forsupportive service professionals working in a home-basedenvironment. Drawing on best practices from a range of disciplinesthis book provides a clear map for dealing with the complex andoften ambiguous situations that arise with individuals andfamilies, with applications extending to supervision andorganizational change. Readers gain the advice and insight ofreal-world frontline helpers, as well as those who receive carehighlighting new ways to approach the work and re-think previousconceptualizations of problems and strengths. Helping efforts areorganized around a shared, forward-thinking vision that anticipatesobstacles and draws on existing and potential supports indeveloping a collaborative plan of action.The book begins with stories that illustrate core concepts andcontext, presenting a number of useful ideas that can reorientbehavioral services while outlining a principle-based practiceframework to help workers stay grounded and focused. Problems areaddressed, and strength-based work is expanded into richerconversations about strengths in the context of intention andpurpose, value and belief, hopes, dreams, and commitments. Topicsinclude:* Contextual guidance with helping maps* Engaging people and re-thinking problems and strengths* Dilemmas in home and community services* Sustainable helping through collaboration and supportA strong collaboration between natural networks, communitiesand trained professionals across systems creates an effectivehelping endeavor. Ensuring sustainability may involve promotingsystems change, and building institutional supports for specificsupervisory, management, and organizational practices.Collaborative Helping provides a framework for organizingthese efforts into a coherent whole, serving the needs ofsupportive services workers across sectors.

Acknowledgments viiIntroduction xiAbout the Authors xixChapter 1 Helping: What, How, and Why 1Stories of Helping Relationships 1Walking and Talking 8Helping Activities--The What of Helping 9Relational Connection--The How of Helping 12Experience and Stories--The Why of Helping 14Placing Collaborative Helping in a Broader Context 17Moving Collaborative Helping into the Future 20Chapter 2 Cornerstones of Collaborative Helping 23Collaborative Helping as a Principle-Based Approach 23Collaborative Helping and Relational Stance 26Collaborative Helping and a Focus on Life Stories 33Collaborative Helping and Inquiry 40The Cornerstones in Plain English 46Chapter 3 A Map to Guide Helping Efforts 49Introducing Collaborative Helping Maps 50The Collaborative Helping Map in Action 52Organizing Vision and Preferred Directions in Life 53Obstacles and Supports 58The Plan 64The Usefulness of a Map 68Chapter 4 Collaborative Helping Maps in Different Contexts 69Using Collaborative Helping Maps in Residential Programs 69Using Collaborative Helping Maps to Enhance Conversations in Child Protective Services 78Using Collaborative Helping Maps in the Changing World of Health Care 91Current and Potential Uses for Collaborative Helping Maps 96Chapter 5 Engaging People to Envision New Lives 99Engagement--Who Are You and What Is Important to You? 99Vision--Where Would You Like to Be Headed in Your Life? 102Engagement Difficulties 108Engaging a Youth with a No Problem Stance 111Engaging a Woman with a No Control Stance 115Difficulties Developing a Vision 118Connecting to Build Desired Futures 123Chapter 6 Rethinking Problems and Strengths 125Rethinking Strengths and Needs 126Conversations about Problems as Obstacles Separate from People 127A Map for Externalizing Conversations about Problems 135Conversations about Strengths as Intentional Practices of Living 139A Map for Conversations about Strengths 142Applications of Conversations about Strengths 144New Conversations about Problems and Strengths 148Chapter 7 Dilemmas in Home and Community Services 151Concrete Help, Boundaries, and the Terrain of Home and Community Work 152The Contribution of Family Partners to Collaborative Helping 159Relational Stance and Advocacy Efforts 161Power Dynamics in Working with the Larger Helping System 162Dilemmas in Advocacy Efforts 166Helping People More Effectively Advocate for Themselves 173In the End, It's Still Walking and Talking 174Chapter 8 Sustainable Helping 177Using Collaborative Helping Maps to Enhance Supervision 177Building Institutional Structures that Support Collaboration 183Building Organizational Cultures that Support Collaboration 190A Brief Look Back 199References 203Index 209