Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Building Social Work Practice Skills
Kalea Benner, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Diane N. Loeffler, PhD, MSW
Natalie D. Pope, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Prepare future social workers with tools to address disparities across diverse social work settings.
This essential text provides justice-informed knowledge, skills, and values for social work practice. It examines structural and systemic impacts to prepare students for creating meaningful change across diverse practice arenas. Each chapter is grounded in key concepts and theory, linking contemporary practice to historical policies that have perpetuated inequity. Through this foundation, the book offers clear, practical knowledge and actionable guidance. With applied exercises, practitioner insights, and experiential learning opportunities, the book helps students apply social, racial, economic, and environmental justice in practice. Designed for BSW, MSW, and DSW courses, the text emphasizes sustainable practice through self-care and reflective engagement. Know, use, and test your understanding of course content with CourseConnect—an interactive learning platform included with your print purchase.
What’s New:
- New chapters on racial justice, child welfare, and self-care for sustainable practice
- Expanded case examples and voices from practitioners in the field
- Updated applied exercises and reflective learning opportunities
- Stronger integration of systemic analysis across practice arenas
Key Features:
- Coverage of 13 essential practice systems through a justice lens
- Students gain advanced skills to identify and challenge systemic injustice in practice
- Includes engaging tools: case studies, exercises, field insights, and learning outcomes
- Written by respected scholars advancing social, racial, economic, and environmental justice in social work
- Instructor Resources include Instructor’s Manual with Learning Activities for each chapter, Instructor Chapter PowerPoints, Test Bank, Sample Syllabus, and Transition Guide from First to Second Edition
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Contributors
Preface
Resources
Chapter 1. Setting the Stage for Justice-Driven Social Work Practice
Chapter 2. Theoretical and Conceptual Underpinnings of Justice-Driven Practice 
Chapter 3. Framing Social Work Practice in the Human Rights Context 
Chapter 4. Implementing Racial Justice and Anti-Oppressive Practice 
Chapter 5. The Pervasive Influence of Economic Inequality and Income Disparity 
Chapter 6. Addressing Disparities in Child Welfare 
Chapter 7. Social and Economic Disparities Within the Educational System
Chapter 8. Justice-Informed Social Work Practice Within the Criminal Justice System 
Chapter 9. Social and Environmental Factors in Health Disparities
Chapter 10. Disparities in Mental Health Services: A Matter of Justice in the Clinical Setting 
Chapter 11. Environmental Justice and Disasters: Social Work’s Role in Combating Structural Inequalities
Chapter 12. Food Justice 
Chapter 13. Utilizing Policy to Address Unaffordable and Unavailable Housing 
Chapter 14. Financial Justice and Social Work Practice 
Chapter 15. Implementing Justice-Driven Social Work Practice 
Chapter 16. Self-Care as a Professional Imperative 
Chapter 17. A Call to Action: Justice-Informed Social Work Practice 
Index
Suggested Courses:
- Foundations of Social Justice
- Human Diversity in Social Work Practice
- Human Rights, Social, Racial, Economic, and Environmental Justice
Included Instructor Resources:
- LMS Common Cartridge - All Instructor Resources
- Instructor’s Manual
- Instructor Test Bank
- Instructor Chapter PowerPoints
- Instructor Sample Syllabus
- Transition Guide: First Edition to Second Edition
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- Release Date: April 28, 2026
- Paperback / softback
- 406 Pages
- Trim Size: 7in x 10in
- Number of Illustrations: 7
- ISBN: 9780826143693
- eBook ISBN: 9780826155740



















