Stanley Wenocur

The Future of Community Organization in Social Work: Social Activism and the Politics of Profession Building

The growth of community organization practice and its future prospects within social work have been shaped by a variety of factors related to profession building. This paper analyzes the development of community organization from a political-economic perspective and proposes ways for community organization to remain a viable force within the social work profession in the future.

Strategies for overcoming barriers to community-based housing for the chronically mentally ill

This paper reports the results of a study of community acceptance of housing for the mentally ill in Maryland. The findings indicate that community opposition is less likely to occur (1) when establishing apartmental living arrangements rather than group homes, (2) in less organized neighborhoods, (3) where other housing for specialized populations has not been previously developed, and (4) by using a “low profile” strategy which avoids informing community members in advance of start-up.