Why is the counseling agency Oden successful? a joint evaluation and research project by social workers and researchers

Transcription

1 Why is the counseling agency Oden successful? a joint evaluation and research project by social workers and researchers Gun-Eva Andersson-Långdahl 1, Björn Blom 2, Agneta Ericson 1, Lena Gyllenberg 1, Roger Marklund 1, Stefan Morén 2, Marek Perlinski 2, Ulla Spång 1, Elin Westermark 1 1. The Counselling agency Oden, Skellefteå municipality, Sweden 2. Department of Social Work, Umeå University, Sweden Achieving Clinical Excellence (ACE) Conference Putting the Pieces Together: The Fragile Balance, Amsterdam, May 2013

2 Background and aim with the project Rådgivningen Oden: Outpatient treatment What works? Development in practice Reflection Dialog Evaluation

3 The project process Measured as different forms of data collection the project began June 20 th 2011 and ended February 8 th 2013 Multiple methods design aiming at method triangulation Focus groups with all the staff of Oden. Special client documentation protocol (computer based) to follow up Oden s work with 4 clients. The protocol s structure followed the components of the CAIMeR Theory and also allowed the researchers comments and feed-back to the social workers. All researchers could comment on every single client s protocol. Meetings with all social workers to discuss the comments and feed-back from the researchers. Observation (thru one-way screen) of social workers meetings with clients. Structured interviews with clients. (The last step in collection of data concerning individual clients)

4 The CAIMeR theory The theory enables explanative studies in social work practice. Under different Contextual conditions (C) different Actors make (A) different Interventions (I) that trigger and/or are triggered by different Mechanisms (Me) which generates short-term and long-term Results (R)

5 Concepts in the CAIMeR theory

6 The results: a programme theory explaining how Oden works some brief examples Oden is successful because: Societal and Cultural contexts Oden has a very good reputation in the city, within the social services, other organizations and among the public. Other professionals and clients often expect in advance that Oden will succeed in helping the client! Intervention context Trust, support and back-up from the working team is of decisive importance, in order to carry out the work. Many work tasks are demanding for individual social workers. But they dare to confront difficult tasks in the client work, thanks to a firm support by the team. The team function like an organism rather than a group of individuals. Politicians and managers do not tamper with Oden s work. Oden has an extensive freedom to decide how they want to work.

7 Social worker interventions More examples of Oden s programme theory It is not the social workers' interventions that are most important. The social workers only "capture" the client s own change model what works for the individual and they ensure that clients follow their own model. The intervention is more like evaluation than treatment. The social workers use scales measuring change, and ask how the situation has developed since the last meeting. Client interventions The clients most important contribution is to expose themselves to these evaluative questions, and work with their situation between the visits to Oden. Mechanisms Oden s supportive and reflective social climate creates trust and confidence among the social workers. This social climate rubs off/spread so that the social workers approach their clients in a supportive and reflective way. Several clients initially have a change commitment that triggers the social workers assistance commitment. This in turn, can trigger other professional actors assistance commitment. Oden s and other actors assistance commitment can then amplify the client s own change commitment.

8 Implications for Oden The art of treatment is complicated Simple questions led to a deeper dialog CAIMeR helped us find new ways to look at our work Several persons see and think better than one Self-confidence as professionals Back to basic

9 Thanks for listening!