Research into the Usefulness of Contemporary Family Social Work Concepts and Developing New Knowledge through Practical Learning

Growing number of Slovenian families and their family members are facing complex psychosocial problems and social exclusion. These families need support and help where everyone involved in the individual working project of... [ view full abstract ]

Growing number of Slovenian families and their family members are facing complex psychosocial problems and social exclusion. These families need support and help where everyone involved in the individual working project of help co-create desired outcomes.
In Slovenian practice, working with the family is often not carried out according to contemporary concepts of family social work and especially families that need help the most are often left out. The challenge is to step out of the institutional barriers into the community where people live. These was one of the aims of the action research project which we carried out at Faculty of social work with students of the master program “Family social work” in the context of practical learning. Other aims were to contribute to the transmission of family social work concepts in practice and to develop new knowledge, based on the results of the project; to train future professionals to work in the field of family social work; and to offer competent support and help to families who were facing poverty due to different problems. Therefore, students established partnerships with families, who were despite numerous sources of assistance within the system, marginalized in society.
We wanted to challenge common understanding of many professionals in practice, that theoretical knowledge is something that falls within the field of science and working in practice means something else. We wanted to support future professionals to be able to use knowledge in daily practice for co-creating effective projects of help with the family. Research results from action research project show that it is possible to overcome the dichotomy between theory and practice and to provide competent processes of help and support. Results also provide new knowledge in the field of family social work in the community.