Social work practice with the mentally ill has traditionally relied upon an interdisciplinary-
based, problem-solving approach. But as the medicalization of the mental health field evolved
over the past three decades, a distancing from the behavioral sciences and a subsequent division
within social work itself regarding practice definitions and goals of research appear to have
occurred. A reexamination of contemporary social work research and the profession's practice
mandate, together with a reconceptualization of findings from the behavioral sciences, suggests
important and legitimate areas of social work inquiry into severe mental disorders. Criteria for
identifying and implementing the basic content of a social work curriculum pertinent to the nature, treatment, and further study of chronic mental illness are offered.
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