Customer Reviews

Return to Community: Building Support Systems for People with Psychiatric Disabilities

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the book represent an important heritage to people in the helping professions, not only for those in psych. department but for those who seek to help individuals with psychiatric disabilities. i really describe the books as a unique piece of work of commpation and emapthy. the book discusses a different approach to the helping profession, an approach that unite mental disabled individuals with the rest of the population, the books suggests a dialogue not based on 'i'm the doc, i'm the counselor, you are the ill you. so you need this and that'. the book offer a unique approach of communion between people. but in order to reach such communion, helping professionals must first shift from the 'he is schizophrenic, he can't decide for himself' to ' he is a person, we feelings needs, lets work together on plan'. with knowing or without, Carling introduces the reader to the Mahatma's Gamdhi heritage, and old heritage which come to close gaps between people...great work....

with love and admiration oudi singer

In the international movement toward community support (see, Personnel preparation in disability and community life, 2000), Paul Carling has been a significant leader in the promotion of empowerment, regular housing and support, and community change in the field of psychiatric disabilities.

In personnel preparation in this field, Chapter 6 on higher education and mental health is a jewel. The book offers a critical perspective on national reform efforts to move away from the traditional "medicalized" (e.g., abnormal psychology, social deviance in sociology) disciplinary approaches to substantive knowledge in community (e.g., housing, employment, education) and community support services and their infrasructure.

Chapter 7 on housing is relevant to all constituencies and groups concerned about the availability of affordable, accessible and quality housing in the US. In the field of psychiatric disabilities, Paul Carling and his Center on Housing and Support through Community Change, have played a major role in state developments in the field over the past decade. For a comparative view in the US of housing and developmental disabilities, see Housing, support and community (1993), as part of a collaborative movement toward greater user choice, community housing, and local/state agency change.

This reviewer recommends both the book, including its use as a textbook in education courses and by the diversity of community agencies in the US, and the national Center which Paul Carling directs for its consultancy and contributions in the field.