scholarly journals Policymaking Opportunities for Direct Practice Social Workers in Mental Health and Addiction Services

10.18060/2227 ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Powell ◽  
Eve Garrow ◽  
Michael R. Woodford ◽  
Brian Perron
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Direct Practice ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Addiction Services ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats

Direct practice social workers have potentially significant policymaking opportunities as mediators of top-down policy and as creators of policy where none exists. The power they possess stems from their ‘on the ground’ expertise and the discretion available to them in making practice decisions. By understanding their power as “street-level bureaucrats” they can significantly improve policy. Drawing on policy issues in mental health and addictions services, this article illustrates how social workers can use their power in an ethically sensitive manner to enhance policy outcomes for clients.

Top-Down Policy Implementation and Social Workers as Institutional Entrepreneurs: The Case of an Electronic Information System in Belgium

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1317-1332
Author(s):  
Joris De Corte ◽  
Jochen Devlieghere ◽  
Griet Roets ◽  
Rudi Roose
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Electronic Information ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Institutional Entrepreneurs ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Gradual Process ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats ◽  
Electronic Information System

Abstract In this article, we focus on how social workers use their agency when implementing top-down policy measures as street-level bureaucrats. We report on findings of a case study that was conducted in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, about the top-down introduction of an electronic information system (IS) in the field of Child Welfare and Protection (CWP). Starting from insights derived from neo-institutional theory, we explore how social workers perform a role as so-called ‘institutional entrepreneurs’ by initiating critical reflections about policy rationales. In our contribution, we show that, despite social workers’ awareness of being embedded in their own field or service area, they use their field-level expertise and day-to-day experiences to disengage from this context as well. Besides unravelling the lack of coherence informing the IS’s initial ambitions of transparency and efficiency, they constantly (re)frame their views and explain their alternative ideas with the aim of convincing other social workers and managers. In this vein, we conclude by highlighting the importance of ‘distributed’ forms of agency that involve a gradual process, which is co-produced by social workers as street-level bureaucrats in close collaboration with service users, other professionals, other organisations and policy makers.

scholarly journals Politicians’ involvement in street-level policy implementation: Implications for social equity

2021 ◽  
pp. 095207672110240
Author(s):  
Maayan Davidovitz ◽  
Nissim Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Equity ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Elected Officials ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats

The study explores whether elected officials’ involvement in the way street-level bureaucrats implement policy affects social equity. This question is addressed empirically through interviews and focus groups with 84 Israeli educators and social workers. Findings indicate that elected officials involve themselves directly and indirectly in street-level bureaucrats’ policy implementation and their involvement reduces social equity in the provision of services. The study contributes to the literature on policy implementation by enabling a deeper understanding of the factors that shape the decision-making process of street-level bureaucrats when providing services and their ultimate impact on policy outcomes.

scholarly journals Social Workers in a Modernising Welfare State: Professionals or Street-Level Bureaucrats?

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1669-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margo Trappenburg ◽  
Thomas Kampen ◽  
Evelien Tonkens
Keyword(s):  
Welfare State ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Clear Distinction ◽  
Ethical Code ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats ◽  
New Policies

Abstract Social workers are often depicted as street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) or professionals interchangeably. However, to find out how social workers relate to new policy measures, a clear distinction between SLBs and professionals is helpful. Ideal–typical SLBs subscribe to new policies although they may diverge from them in practice, to accommodate clients. Ideal–typical professionals weigh new policies against their ethical code. If the new policy goes against their professional principles, they protest on behalf of their clients. In this article, we study Dutch social workers who have to implement a new policy that (i) obliges their clients to actively participate in society and (ii) obliges them to rely on family and friends when they need help. The data for this article are derived from two projects: interviews with twenty-nine experienced social workers and interviews with social workers in neighbourhood teams and observations of their interactions with clients in six municipalities. We found that Dutch social workers think as professionals: they weigh the new policy against their ethical code and have serious doubts about the second part of the new policy. Hence, they find ways to avoid implementation. However, they behave as SLBs, bending the rules in practice. They rarely confront policymakers or higher management.

Which Clients Inspire or Reduce the Trust of Street-Level Bureaucrats?

2021 ◽  
pp. 009539972110616
Author(s):  
Maayan Davidovitz ◽  
Nissim Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Service Providers ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats

Which types of clients increase or decrease the trust of street-level bureaucrats (SLBs)? Using interviews and focus groups with two groups of Israeli social service providers—teachers and social workers—and comparing them, —we develop a theoretical framework for determining the types of clients who evoke and reduce the trust of SLBs. Our findings indicate that there are seven types of clients who inspire or diminish this trust: —cooperative, honest, familiar, benevolent, aggressive, open, and manipulative. We discuss the significance of our findings for the implementation and outcome of public policy and suggest several avenues for future research.

Social workers’ perceptions of the causes of poverty in the Nordic countries

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Blomberg ◽  
Christian Kroll ◽  
Johanna Kallio ◽  
Jani Erola
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Nordic Countries ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Street Level ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Municipal Level ◽  
Causes Of Poverty

Street-level bureaucrats have been given an increasing role in the implementation of policies aimed at the poor. The article analyses: (1) how social workers in the Nordic countries explain the causes of poverty and whether there are variations between countries in social workers’ perceptions; and (2) the nature of the impact, if any, of various individual- and municipal-level factors on social workers’ perceptions of the causes of poverty. Survey data gathered from social workers in four countries are analysed and combined with data from the municipalities in which the respondents work. The results illustrate that social workers display a surprisingly large variation in perceptions: there are differences between countries and also differences related to individual-level factors, while municipality-level factors do not appear to influence the perceptions of social workers in an obvious way.

scholarly journals Mental illness and addictions: Our responsibility to support the family

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 26-32
Author(s):  
Jessica Kean
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Addiction Services ◽  
The Family

Mental health and addictions is a field within the realms of social work practice that appears to be consistently growing. This article seeks to discuss the importance of social work practice with the families that come into contact with mental health and addiction services. It will also draw attention to the questions of whether social workers are effectively supporting and engaging family and how we can work alongside or in partnerships with family. It will seek to highlight the importance of having a clear understanding of the experiences of the family who have been affected by mental illness or addiction in order to more effectively work towards recovery.

Specialty Probation Officers as Street-Level Bureaucrats: Exploring How Discretion Is Perceived and Employed on a Mental Health Caseload

2021 ◽  
pp. 0306624X2199078
Author(s):  
Brice Terpstra ◽  
Philip Mulvey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
Probation Officer ◽  
Probation Officers ◽  
Successful Completion ◽  
Specialty Mental Health ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Overall Effectiveness

This study explores the perceptions of specialty mental health caseload probation officers and their use of discretion in day-to-day supervision of individuals with mental illness in one large jurisdiction in the United States. Scholars have examined overall effectiveness of specialty probation programs, probation officers’ roles as street-level bureaucrats, and the impact of the mental health caseload probation officer and probationer relationship on successful completion. Less attention, however, has been placed on examining how the officers supervising these specialty caseloads perceive their roles as mental health probation officers and how they use discretion in their caseload management. The current study examines the narratives of 24 specialty mental health caseload probation officers and supervisors to understand how discretion is used on a problem-solving caseload and how discretionary decision-making may impact probationer outcomes.

scholarly journals Bakkebyråkratiets yttergrense. Hjemmetjenestens møte med eldre med psykiske helseproblemer

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 20� ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Skatvedt ◽  
Ellen Andvig ◽  
Bergljot Baklien
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Home Care Services ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Outer Limit ◽  
Street Level ◽  
Street Level Bureaucrats

<strong>Street level bureaucracy’s outer limit. </strong><br /><strong>Home care service’s meeting with elderly people with mental health problems.</strong><br />This article illuminates framework for home care services’ work with older people with mental health problems living at home. We also focus upon which consequences the framework have upon home care service’s work and care for this group of elderly. The article is based on qualitative data from a municipality in Norway. Our findings point to the professionals’ experiences of limitations to provide holistic care and their various strategies for dealing with these. The professionals described a strong sense of commitment and shortcomings facing elderly with mental health problems. We call attention to a problem of responsivity, with consequences for both professionals and service users. By presenting professionals in home care service as "extreme street level bureaucrats", we expand Lipsky’s theory of street level bureaucrats. Home care service’s encounters with the this group of elderly is seen as the outer limit of street level bureaucracy, based on the major ethical dilemmas professionals experience in their daily work in connection with that they “shall not attend to” elderly’s mental health problems.

Addressing COVID-19 Worry and Social Isolation in Home-Based Primary Care

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Elizabeth Weiskittle ◽  
Michelle Mlinac ◽  
LICSW Nicole Downing
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Home Based Primary Care ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Socially Isolated

Social distancing measures following the outbreak of COVID-19 have led to a rapid shift to virtual and telephone care. Social workers and mental health providers in VA home-based primary care (HBPC) teams face challenges providing psychosocial support to their homebound, medically complex, socially isolated patient population who are high risk for poor health outcomes related to COVID-19. We developed and disseminated an 8-week telephone or virtual group intervention for front-line HBPC social workers and mental health providers to use with socially isolated, medically complex older adults. The intervention draws on skills from evidence-based psychotherapies for older adults including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Problem-Solving Therapy. The manual was disseminated to VA HBPC clinicians and geriatrics providers across the United States in March 2020 for expeditious implementation. Eighteen HBPC teams and three VA Primary Care teams reported immediate delivery of a local virtual or telephone group using the manual. In this paper we describe the manual’s development and clinical recommendations for its application across geriatric care settings. Future evaluation will identify ways to meet longer-term social isolation and evolving mental health needs for this patient population as the pandemic continues.

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