Financial Social Work
Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice
(First Edition)
©2026, 190 pages
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2026 Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA) Most Promising New Textbook Award WinnerFinancial Social Work: Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice explores the intersection of financial behavior, emotions, and social work. Featuring a biopsychosocial perspective, it explores concepts such as money attitudes and beliefs, the link between emotions and financial behaviors, and chronic financial stress. The book elaborates on the implementation of financial social work at individual and organizational levels, addressing financial stress, trauma, and anxiety, and advocating for inclusive financial practices and policies.
This book is structured to systematically build student competence through theoretical foundations, application in practical settings, and case examples. With a focus on promoting financial resilience, it provides strategies to empower clients and foster healthy financial mindsets, while also dealing with the macro aspects of policy development and advocacy for economic equity. The text emphasizes the importance of cultural humility in financial social work and discusses innovations and future directions in the field.
Financial Social Work is suitable for graduate-level instruction, specifically for students pursuing their Master of Social Work degrees. It aligns well with courses such as advanced interventions in social work education and is intended for both specialized financial social work courses and broader social work curriculum elements, including macro social work practice, financial policy advocacy, and ethical practice.
Watch Reeta Wolfsohn speak to how the textbook can strengthen social work curriculum and help the next generation of social workers to become authentic financial change agents who are capable of addressing credit, debt, consumerism, and economic injustice through a lens of empowerment, ethics, and equity. The book fills a critical gap in the literature by providing readers with practical tools, a behavioral framework, and the advocacy strategies necessary to promote financial stability and systemic change.
Visit Reeta Wolfsohn's website, Center for Financial Social Work, an organization that has been creating original, interactive, and holistic Financial Behavioral Health™ programs for over 20 years. Visit the site to access resources, sign up for webinars, and learn more about the importance of financial social work.
Reeta Wolfsohn is the founder of Financial Social Work and the Center for Financial Social Work. She is a National Association of Social Work Pioneer inductee for creating this behavioral, psychosocial discipline at the intersection of financial issues and social work practice. She holds an MSW from Stony Brook University.
Matthew L. Schwartz, DSW, LCSW, MBA, CFSW is a solution focused brief therapist, a certified financial social worker, and an implementation scientist. He is a private practice therapist at Horizon Health Services in Buffalo, New York. He holds his Doctor of Social Work degree from the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.
Cognella Active Learning is available for this title! Adopting instructors can provide students with dynamic online learning activities that reinforce key concepts from the text, provide engaging educational experiences, and support various learning styles.
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Please note: Cognella Active Learning can be bundled for purchase with the text or posted separately. Contact us to learn about bundle discounts.
The Cognella Active Learning content for Financial Social Work includes:
- 1 Self Pre-Assessment Survey and 1 Self Post-Assessment Survey
- 13 Chapter Study Guides and 1 Introductory Study Guide
- 13 Case Studies
- 13 Assignments
- 13 Chapter Videos
- 25 Quizzes
- Web link to online video series
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"Financial Social Work: Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice discusses essential topics in an explicit and organized manner as it explains the relationship between finance and social work. The book effectively sheds light on the importance of financial health in the lives of clients and the role that social workers can play in helping clients with financial matters at the individual, group, and community levels. One of the most significant advantages of the book is that it provides a clear structure for financial social work. It divides financial concepts into simple units and links them to the different levels of social work practice, namely the micro (individual), mezzo (group), and macro (community and policy). This step-by-step approach makes the book suitable for almost everyone, including students new to social work or professionals who want to know how to handle financial matters in social work practice. Financial Social Work: Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Practice is a valuable addition to the social work literature. The book addresses the missing dimension of finance in the field. It does more than just draw attention to the financial problems that clients face; it also equips social workers with the information and resources they need to assist clients in financial management. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding and addressing the financial aspects of social justice and enhancing the economic status of various communities."
Anthony J. Hill, Ph.D., LISW-CP/S, CFSW, CFTTM, CSWM, ACSW
"I extend my sincere appreciation to Reeta and Matthew for this vital contribution to financial social work. As valued collaborators in Hong Kong’s financial education initiatives, we share their commitment to transforming financial well-being through social work practice.
Since 2007, the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society has delivered financial education through schools, universities, and community networks. Our approach has evolved from foundational casework and group sessions to innovative edutainment programs. These experiential activities help participants examine their monetary mindsets in engaging ways. At its core, our mission remains constant: to build bridges across sectors and cultivate financial well-being in communities.
Marking a decade of service, we proudly established the Financial Education Centre in 2017. This milestone coincided with our strategic alignment with the Centre for Financial Social Work (FSW), established by Reeta. The FSW framework provided structured methodologies to systematize our frontline experience. Enabling us to develop Hong Kong’s first locally adapted FSW curriculum that integrated with local culture, societal system and financial structure.
Through sustained partnerships with diverse sectors in the community, we have co-designed tailored programs for all generations, from young children to the elderly. The FSW framework has proven instrumental in these endeavors, with the Certification Course celebrating its ninth cohort—each graduating class reinforcing our belief in financial empowerment.
Reeta and Matthew’s scholarly work resonates profoundly with our on-the-ground observations. Their text articulates what we witness daily: that Financial Social Work thrives not in spreadsheets, but in understanding the life stories behind financial choices. To every professional navigating financial empowerment work, this book will be your trusted ally. Within these pages, Reeta and Matthew extend not just expertise, but the quiet wisdom we’ve collectively gathered: how a redesigned budget worksheet can ease a family’s tension, why teenagers teaching smartphone banking to elders fosters mutual healing, and what it truly means to transform financial anxiety into hopeful action. Carry these insights into your communities, and may they remind you—as they remind us daily—that every fiscal decision reflects not only a financial challenge but the human story behind it, worthy of attention for you and those around you to nurture financial and life well-being."
Chan WM, Venus, Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, Financial Education Centre
Anthony J. Hill, Ph.D., LISW-CP/S, CFSW, CFTTM, CSWM, ACSW
"I extend my sincere appreciation to Reeta and Matthew for this vital contribution to financial social work. As valued collaborators in Hong Kong’s financial education initiatives, we share their commitment to transforming financial well-being through social work practice.
Since 2007, the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society has delivered financial education through schools, universities, and community networks. Our approach has evolved from foundational casework and group sessions to innovative edutainment programs. These experiential activities help participants examine their monetary mindsets in engaging ways. At its core, our mission remains constant: to build bridges across sectors and cultivate financial well-being in communities.
Marking a decade of service, we proudly established the Financial Education Centre in 2017. This milestone coincided with our strategic alignment with the Centre for Financial Social Work (FSW), established by Reeta. The FSW framework provided structured methodologies to systematize our frontline experience. Enabling us to develop Hong Kong’s first locally adapted FSW curriculum that integrated with local culture, societal system and financial structure.
Through sustained partnerships with diverse sectors in the community, we have co-designed tailored programs for all generations, from young children to the elderly. The FSW framework has proven instrumental in these endeavors, with the Certification Course celebrating its ninth cohort—each graduating class reinforcing our belief in financial empowerment.
Reeta and Matthew’s scholarly work resonates profoundly with our on-the-ground observations. Their text articulates what we witness daily: that Financial Social Work thrives not in spreadsheets, but in understanding the life stories behind financial choices. To every professional navigating financial empowerment work, this book will be your trusted ally. Within these pages, Reeta and Matthew extend not just expertise, but the quiet wisdom we’ve collectively gathered: how a redesigned budget worksheet can ease a family’s tension, why teenagers teaching smartphone banking to elders fosters mutual healing, and what it truly means to transform financial anxiety into hopeful action. Carry these insights into your communities, and may they remind you—as they remind us daily—that every fiscal decision reflects not only a financial challenge but the human story behind it, worthy of attention for you and those around you to nurture financial and life well-being."
Chan WM, Venus, Hong Kong Family Welfare Society, Financial Education Centre
Financial Social Work is the recipient of a 2026 Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA)!
