Ideal for Social Workers and Social Work Educators, these stories explore the sometimes heart-wrenching struggles and dilemmas of everyday lives. How do social workers and other professionals respond? The insightful questions that accompany the stories will prompt conversations about values, choices and the way society cares.

Author: Jennifer Lehmann. Published by Innovative Resources 2003.Softcover, 140 x 210mm, 126pp.

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Social Workers, Community Leaders, Mental Health Professionals: here is a step-by-step blue-print for a ’strengths-based’ approach to community capacity building as developed by St Luke’s Anglicare (Bendigo, Australia). Contains a three-day workshop and 39 handouts to guide people as they create resilient, flexible, well-connected communities. Author: Wayne McCashen

Published by Innovative Resources 2004. Softcover, 214 x 278mm, 208pp.

Includes three-day workshop template and 39 handout masters to photocopy.

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Topics and questions address personal and corporate responsibility in the face of constraint, discrimination and disadvantage. They also challenge us to create conditions that build hope, respect and fairness.

Published by Innovative Resources 2008. 30 laminated, full-colour cards, 105 x 65mm, transparent polypropylene box folds back to make a stand, 30-page booklet. Booklet author: Russell Deal, Designer: Jacqui Lynch

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Our Scrapbook of Strengths can be used with families, community groups, work teams, support groups, school children, and pretty much any other gathering of people.

It provides an opportunity to acknowledge and recognise the existing strengths and to identify ways in which these strengths can contribute to the resilience of the group. Open doors to alternative stories about the group’s relationships–and re-instigate hope in a problem-saturated story. Restore faith in a group’s capability to overcome issues, undertake new projects and successfully achieve their goals.

New ed. published by Innovative Resources 2009, Booklet authors: Russell Deal & Simone Silberberg, Artist: Carolyn Marrone. Designer: Tim Lane 42 A5 full-colour, laminated cards in a full-colour polypropylene box.

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Human Resources Managers, Community Leaders, Social Workers, Team Leaders: here is a unique kit of cards for inspiring exploration of the insidious nature of prejudice; identifying and naming the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation (or team) and insight about socially-just decision-making.

Published by Innovative Resources 2001, 32 full-colour, laminated cards 100mm x 210mm with 28-page booklet presented in polypropylene box.

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Age of Adventure is a photograpy-based set of cards depicting adventurous older Australians living their lives to the full. It is versatile and clever enough to operate as a speech therapy tool, a conversation prompt, a challenge to sterotyping of older community members and an acknowledgement that life isn’t over until its over.

Published by Innovative Resources in 2008, Booklet Author: Judi Fisher, Design: Billington Prideaux Partnership, 50 laminated, full-colour photographic cards, 150 x 150mm, full-colour polypropylene box, 36-page booklet.

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Here is a set of cards based on original photographs that will inspire exploration of the importance of purpose and belonging in our everyday lives. This tool is not based on a particular theology or philosophy and can be used by people from all backgrounds. Very simple, very clever!

Published by Innovative Resources 2004, 48 laminated, full-colour cards, 140 x 140 mm, full-colour polypropylene box, 28-page booklet. Booklet author: Russell Deal, Designer: Brent Seamer.

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As autocratic and heirarchical management styles are challenged, how do staff participate meaningfully and usefully in new structures and step up in ways that are positive for both the organisation and individual?

Change by Design uses questions to challenge us to think about how we can enact shared leadership in our groups, teams, organisations and companies.

Published by Innovative Resources, 2006, 60 laminated, full-colour, double-sided cards, 210x 100mm, polypropylene box, 60-page booklet.

Author Kevin Vallence, Design: Billington Prideaux Partnership.

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A practical guide to the Strengths Approach for Social Workers, Psychologists, Counsellors and anyone who works with people. The Strengths Approach as a model shifts focus from power-over to power-with; from deficits to capacities; from expert-focussed to the-client-as-expert. Author, Wayne McCashen, clearly and comprehensively describes the ideas, values, beliefs, and frameworks that help create respectful and socially-just ways of working with people.

Published by Innovative Resources 2005, softcover, 240 x 170mm, 208pp, includes annotated bibliography.

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As well as being a visual feast, Talking Up Our Strengths is a catalyst for inspiring conversations and storytelling in schools, communities, groups, social work settings, board rooms, family gatherings and back yards. Whether they are spread out across the kitchen bench or on the tables of policy makers and politicians, these cards can be used as tools for reconciliation, social justice and pride in cultural diversity.

Published by Innovative Resources and Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) 2009, Booklet author: Russell Deal, Designer: Tim Lane, Card size 140×140, 22 laminated, full-colour cards, polypropylene box, 24-page booklet.

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