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Serving the Amish

A Cultural Guide for Professionals

James A. Cates

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The first comprehensive cultural guide for professionals who interact with Amish individuals and communities.

Serving the Amish is a targeted guide for professionals who care for or interact with Plain people: doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers, judges, social workers, psychotherapists, and addiction counselors, among others. For these professionals, knowing the "what" of Amish life is not enough. They must go deeper, understanding the "why"—the ideologies that both drive and bind this community in a system of beliefs that seems alien to those who embrace the technological and social...

The first comprehensive cultural guide for professionals who interact with Amish individuals and communities.

Serving the Amish is a targeted guide for professionals who care for or interact with Plain people: doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers, judges, social workers, psychotherapists, and addiction counselors, among others. For these professionals, knowing the "what" of Amish life is not enough. They must go deeper, understanding the "why"—the ideologies that both drive and bind this community in a system of beliefs that seems alien to those who embrace the technological and social turbulence of the twenty-first century.

James A. Cates draws heavily on his experiences as a clinical psychologist in private practice in northeastern Indiana, a region that is home to more than 35,000 Amish people. He combines anecdotal evidence and first-person narrative to shed light on the social, emotional, and psychological foundations of Amish life to help professionals interact competently and build rapport with Amish clients. He also explains the unique challenges outsiders face in offering aid to a people whose lifestyle and rules dictate a distance from all things worldly.

This practical book balances evidence-based principles of care with an emphasis on reducing anxiety and establishing warm relationships. From the police officer dispersing a party full of Amish Youngie to the social worker staffing a child protective services hotline, professionals who work with the Amish will benefit from this one-of-a-kind guide.

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Reviews

Serving the Amish is a model for learning how to relate intelligently and sensitively to other cultures. Both professionals—including health care providers, police officers, and social workers—and the Amish community will be better able to effectively cope with the realities of their interaction because of this fine work.

A psychologist with long experience in Northern Indiana’s Old Order communities, James A. Cates writes knowledgeably, respectfully, and frankly about working with Amish adults, teenagers, and families. This work, the first of its kind, is a must-have for health care and other professionals who encounter the Amish.

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Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I: Culture and Context
1. Strangers and Pilgrims
Part II: Life Experience
2. Changing Views of Human Services
3. Building and Maintaing Rapport
4. Across the Life Span
5. Women's

Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I: Culture and Context
1. Strangers and Pilgrims
Part II: Life Experience
2. Changing Views of Human Services
3. Building and Maintaing Rapport
4. Across the Life Span
5. Women's Issues
6. Sexuality
7. Violence and Abuse
8. Death and Loss
Part III: Professional Interaction
9. Counseling and Psychotherapy
10. Substance Abuse and Addictions
11. Law Enforcement and the Judiciary
12. Healthcare Professions
13. Social Work and Social Services
Part IV: Practical Considerations
14. Guidelines for Service to the Amish
Epilogue
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Author Bio
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James A. Cates

James A. Cates is a board-certified clinical psychologist and licensed addiction counselor in northeast Indiana. He is an associate professor at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne.