What's Wrong with Them Is What's Wrong with Us

ABSTRACT

Boundary maintaining exercises and processes appear to represent a primary barrier to both community social work practice and complex change initiatives alike. This article proposes that the ways community social workers frame the need for systemic change, systemic transformation, and social justice can mirror practices and processes that perpetuate the common gap between vulnerable populations and institutions. This article offers a conceptual framework to develop social work practices that address multi-level and multi-systemic boundary maintaining processes and activities. Implications for the advanced generalist perspective are explored.

Key Words:

• Boundaries
• community practice
• consumer-led practice
• community collaboration
• complex change initiatives
• community development
• inter-professional collaboration