scholarly journals Developmental Social Work for Promoting the Socioeconomic Participation of Persons with Disabilities: An Application of the Capability Approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-117
Author(s):  
Masateru Higashida

The promotion of the socioeconomic participation of persons with disabilities is an important concept of developmental social work in community-based rehabilitation (CBR). This approach can be used to tackle poverty and inequalities, and to foster inclusion and empowerment. However, since discussions in the literature on common frameworks for developmental social workers in CBR appear inadequate, this review article aims to develop a practical framework that promotes the socioeconomic participation of persons with disabilities by applying the capability approach. First, the concept of socioeconomic participation and some of its dimensions are discussed and analytically framed using the capability approach. Following this, the practical framework for developmental social work is laid out. It is suggested that developmental social workers consider the complex dynamics between capabilities, functionings, resources, conversion factors, and other factors, with an emphasis on the social dimensions of practice. Thereafter, some theoretical and practical challenges and recommendations are identified.

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-32
Author(s):  
Håvard Aaslund ◽  
Eelke Pruim

Community-oriented approaches in social work are highlighted in both social work literature and policy documents in post-financial crisis Europe, and in the Nordic welfare states where professionalized bureaucracy, universal benefits and institutionalized social work have been the norm. The aim of this article is to explore social workers’ experiences of role changes in the transition to a more community-oriented approach, characterized by ambulatory work, the facilitation of local resources, multi-disciplinary collaboration and user participation. The empirical data consists of qualitative data from two cases: a political reform in the Netherlands (The Social Support Act), and a user-initialized project in Norway. Ten social workers from nine different organizations were interviewed in the Netherlands, and four social workers from one community-based project in Norway. We analysed these as a multiple case study of a transformation towards community-based practice, but one in which the political and organizational context differs. A common theme was the changing of the roles of the social worker and the subsequent experiences of challenges in different contextual settings. We present our findings under the topics of identity work, differing organizational expectations and role conflicts. Social workers in both the Norwegian and Dutch sample express experiences of multiple roles, vague roles and conflicting roles, with our analysis showing that role stress was common in both cases, regardless of whether the initiative was top-down or bottom-up. Remedying role stress could be a crucial element in processes aiming at user participation, social cohesion, cross-disciplinary cooperation and strengths perspectives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 643-649
Author(s):  
Syeda Mahnaz Hassan ◽  
Aliya Khalid ◽  
Muhammad Arshad ◽  
Shajiah Qursam

This paper aims to explore the role of professional social workers in the social inclusion of disabled persons in Pakistan. This paper highlights the present scenario of social work practice with the disabled community and how professional social workers are bringing social inclusion of disabled persons by working effectively in the field. The data for this study was collected through qualitative approach. The semi-structured interview guide was used to collect data through in-depth interviews from thirteen professional social workers who are working for the social inclusion of persons with disabilities in Pakistani community. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The data revealed that social workers have enough abilities to create a bridge between disabled persons with their community. There are different sources present in the community which can be utilized by professional social workers to enable disabled persons to live a normal life. Unawareness of common people and government towards the roles of social workers has been observed in this study. Enhancement and encouragement of social work practice in the field of disability is particularly needed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 664-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Mason ◽  
Tony Evans

Abstract Working in a cooperative manner with other disciplines or agencies is often cited as an essential element of social work with adults who self-neglect. Cooperative working is now a legal requirement for agencies involved in adult social care in England. However, little is known about how social workers engage cooperatively with other disciplines in practice. This study sets out to explore this issue, employing the ‘Logic of Appropriateness’ perspective to theorise the ways in which social workers talked about working with other disciplines in self-neglect casework. The article presents a qualitative study, which was undertaken through semi-structured interviews with eleven social workers in an urban, adult social care team in an English local authority. Thematic analysis was not only used to draw out four key logics used by the social workers—leadership, joint-working, conflict and proxy—but also highlighted the ways in which social workers moved between different logics when talking about inter-disciplinary cooperation and working with adults who self-neglect. The results highlight the complex dynamics of cooperation and suggest that these dynamics need to be understood in assessing the implementation of integrated policies for social care in this area.


2020 ◽  
pp. 002087281989684
Author(s):  
Inger Kjellberg ◽  
Birgitta Jansson

This study reports the findings from a scoping review of the use of the capability approach in social work research. We identified 17 peer-reviewed journal articles which actively used the capability approach and addressed social work practice. The purpose was to examine how the use of the capability approach was linked to policies, practices and social justice approaches in social work research. The merits and challenges of the capability approach in social work research are discussed. Four main applications of the capability approach were found: as a tool for social workers in practice, to explore the subjective sense of well-being, to address social inequalities on a structural level, and as a way of evaluating social practices. The capability approach was framed as congruent with the aims of social work, and as a call for action for social workers to promote social justice, human dignity and well-being. Another finding was that empowerment, mostly viewed as a tool for social workers to promote strength in individuals, was closely connected to using a capability approach. The contradictory use of empowerment in social work may carry some lessons for future development of a capability approach in social work. The review indicates that the capability approach is used in a range of different ways and acknowledged as a valuable tool for research in social work.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haifeng Jiang ◽  
Xiaomin Xu ◽  
Shujuan Chen ◽  
Junning Chen ◽  
Zhikang Chen ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Drug abuse has high potential to relapse and imposes an enormous burden on public health in China. Since the promulgation of the “Anti-drug law” in 2008, the community-based rehabilitation has become the primary approach to treat drug addiction. However, multi-faceted problems occurred in the implementation process, leading to low detoxification rate in the community. Mobile health (mHealth) serves as a promising tool to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the community-based rehabilitation. Community-based addiction rehabilitation electronic system (CAREs) is an interactive system for drug users and their corresponding social workers. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to examine the feasibility and efficacy of integrated rehabilitation based on CAREs compared with the standard community-based rehabilitation from both the drug users and social workers perspective in Shanghai, China. METHODS In this pilot randomized controlled trial, 40 participants were recruited from the community in Shanghai from January to May 2019. Participants randomized to the intervention group (n=20) received integrated community rehabilitation based on CAREs, while participants in control group (n=20) received community-based rehabilitation alone for 6 months. Corresponding social workers provided service and monitored their drug use behavior as usual. The primary outcome was percentage of drug-positive samples which was submitted regularly once a week during the study course. The secondary outcome was longest period of abstinence and the change of Addiction Severity Index (ASI) from baseline in the 6th month. Usage of CAREs feature was also calculated. RESULTS After 6-month intervention, 3.3% samples in the intervention group and 7.5% in the control group were drug-positive (F = 4.358, P= .04). No significant differences between the control and intervention group in terms of longest duration of abstinence and ASI composite scores. Among the multiple features of CAREs, participants in intervention group accessed assessment and education features more frequently, while their corresponding social workers favored urine results record and viewing assessments results most. By using the CARES system, the patient's behavior and emotional state can be obtained by the social worker in a timely manner and get a timely response from the social worker. CONCLUSIONS The study preliminarily demonstrated that the feasibility and effectiveness of integrated community rehabilitation based on CAREs. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03451344; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT03451344 (Archived by WebCite at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT03451344)


2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 723-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Kwong Kam

Social changes and professionalization have moved social work away from advancing social justice and into the domination of individual therapies. This article redirects social workers’ attention to the importance of the ‘social’ in social work by presenting a six-social dimensions framework, and suggests that this refocusing helps to revive the profession’s contribution to promoting social justice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arif Setiadi

Capacity Building adalah proses peningkatan kemampuan pengurus Rehabilitasi Berbasis Masyarakat (RBM) dalam memberikan pelayanan kepada penyandang disabilitas, sehingga penyandang disabilitas dapat mengakses pelayanan yang dibutuhkan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengkaji tentang Capacity Building Pengurus Rehabilitasi Berbasis Masyarakat dalam Pelayanan terhadap Penyandang Disabilitas di Kelurahan Babakan Ciparay Kecamatan Babakan Ciparay Kota Bandung. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah kualitatif dengan design action research. Sumber yang digunakan adalah sumber data primer dan sumber data sekunder. Adapun teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah wawancara mendalam, observasi partisipatif, studi dokumentasi, dan Penilaian Kapasitas. Teknik pemeriksaan data yang digunakan yaitu uji kepercayaan, uji keteralihan, uji ketergantungan dan uji kepastian. Selanjutnya hasil penelitian ini di analisis menggunakan teknik analisis kualitatif. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa capacity building terhadap pengurus RBM Kelurahan Babakan Ciparay membawa perubahan dalam memberikan pelayanan kepada penyandang disabilitas. Capacity Building pengurus RBM tersebut berdampak pada pelayanan terhadap penyandang disabilitas menjadi lebih komprehensif dan berbasis metode serta teknik pekerjaan sosial.  Keywords: Capacity Building, Community-Based Rehabilitation, Persons With Disabilities


1997 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 835-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
James G. Hanson ◽  
James G. McCullagh

A 10-yr. study of 746 social work undergraduates' perceived satisfaction with seven factors related to their career choice suggested high satisfaction with social work as a career; with the purposes and functions of social work, and the students' initial volunteer experience. There were no significant changes in satisfaction over the 10-yr. period, which findings parallel those of other studies in which similar methods have been used with practicing social workers.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document