A Practical Guide to Research and Services with Hidden Populations

This book introduces students and practitioners to issues related to treating hard-to-reach and under-served marginalized populations. Written in a manner accessible to all, this book addresses the rapidly changing field of mental health care and introduces the reader to key issues affecting such work in difficult environments. It treats topics such as how to conduct outreach, recruit persons outside the mainstream, and interview clients. The reader is given explicit directions for setting up systems to find and engage difficult to reach clients, establish collaborative working relationships among community-based organizations, and understand the need for structure in field settings and the ethical issues and community constraints affecting projects that operate outside the mainstream. For students and public health/social service professionals working with hard-to-reach populations. Also for social workers and counselors.