The Practice of Generalist Social Work

Marla Berg-Weger, PhD, LCSW, is Professor in the School of Social Work at Saint Louis University, Missouri and Executive Director of the Geriatric Education Center. Dr. Berg-Weger holds social work degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Her social work practice experience includes gerontological social work practice, public social welfare services, intimate partner violence services, mental health, and health social work. Her research and writing focuses on gerontological social work and social work practice. She is the author of Social Work and Social Welfare: An Invitation (5th edition). With Julie Birkenmaier, she co-authored the textbook, The Practicum Companion for Social Work: Integrating Class and Field Work (4th edition). She is the Past President of the Association of Gerontology in Social Work and Managing Editor of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work and is a fellow in the Gerontological Society of America. Deborah Adams is Associate Professor and Program Director of the Master's in Social Work Program at the University of Kansas. Dr. Adams holds social work degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Her practice experience includes administration of social service agencies and social justice organizations. Areas of research and teaching focus are poverty and policy studies, asset building and asset effects, and the well-being of women and children, social and economic development theory for research, and mixed methods research. She has published in venues such as the Children and Youth Services Review; the Encyclopedia of Social Work; Journal of Public Policy; the Journal of Community Practice; and Research on Social Work Practice. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Community Organization and Social Action (ACOSA), the oldest national organization for macro social work practice in the United States. Julie Birkenmaier, PhD, LCSW, is Professor of Social Work at Saint Louis University School of Social Work in the College of Public Health and Social Justice. Her research focuses on financial capability and asset building practice, financial access and financial inclusion, personal financial credit, and community development. Her recent publications include Financial Capability and Asset-Building in Vulnerable Households with Drs. Margaret Sherraden and J. Michael Collins (2018, Oxford University Press), and Financial Capability and Asset Building with Diverse Populations (2018, Routledge Press). She teaches financial capability practice, community practice, and policy practice. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.