How and why a holistic multidisciplinary collaboration makes a difference for children at risk

The aim of this research project is to study how and why holistic multidisciplinary collaboration has a positive effect on children at risk and their parents. The study takes place in a Danish municipality. In an effort to... [ view full abstract ]

The aim of this research project is to study how and why holistic multidisciplinary collaboration has a positive effect on children at risk and their parents.
The study takes place in a Danish municipality. In an effort to increase parent employment and to improve wellbeing of children at risk the municipality has chosen to combine the case worker position so only one professional instead of two holds this position for the whole family. The case worker also functions as coordinator for all the different collaborators who are in contact with the family. This process is evaluated through quantitative data.
In our particular part of the study, focus is placed upon the joint multidisciplinary efforts of all these collaborators. The study is founded on the assumption that children at risk present with complex problems which demands complex solutions and that these are best reached through multidisciplinary collaboration. Multidisciplinary collaboration is understood as collaboration across professional disciplines working directly with children and families. Through the collaboration, the different professionals will expand their understanding of the child with the aim of reaching a mutual understanding of needs. Hereby perceptions and interventions are negotiated between different knowledge about the child from different settings.
A user perspective, from parents, is essential in the qualitative data collection. This perspective is collected by interviews of parents throughout the project in order to discover how their perception of their own as well as their child’s well-being is affected. By combining this data with questionnaires filled out by professional and parents, test scores from the child as well as the quantitative data from the larger study it is our hope to clarify why and how holistic multidisciplinary collaboration does have a positive effect on children at risk.