Joseph Walsh is a professor of social work at Virginia Common¬wealth University. He has been a direct service practitioner in the field of ¬mental health for many years; first in a psychiatric hospital and later in community mental health center settings. He has provided services to older adult and general outpatient populations, but has mostly specialized in services to persons with serious mental illness and their families. Since 1993 Joe has been at VCU, teaching courses in generalist practice, clinical practice, human behavior, research, and social theory. He continues to provide direct services to clients in local mental health agencies. He has published widely in social work and related journals on topics related to clinical practice.