Text in Afrikaans / Na aanleiding van die vraag of die ldientsisteem aan wie die maatskaplike werker hulp verleen, stres ervaar en hoe die klient in hierdie verband deur die maatskaplike werker gehelp kan word, is die doelwitte van die studie geformuleer. Die doel van die studie was om (1) 'n teoretiese stresmodel vir die maatskaplike werk daar te stel, (2) die stresverskynsel by 'n geselekteerde klientsisteem te beskryf, (3) die daarstelling van 'n praktykmodel vir die implementering van streshanteringsprogramme deur maatskaplike werkers en (4) die loodsimplementering en -evaluering van die voorgestelde model. Die studie is ondemeem binne die raamwerk van die ontwikkelingsnavorsings- en -benuttingsmodel. Daar is hoofsaaklik van 'n beskrywende navorsingsontwerp gebruik gemaak en kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes van datainsameling is aangewend. 'n Stresmodel wat deur maatskaplike werkers benut kan word om stres by klientsisteme te beskryf en te verklaar, is daargestel. Hierdie model berus grootliks op die model van ekologiese kongruensie en is versoenbaar met die ekologiese sisteembenadering in maatskaplike werk. In die empiriese ondersoek na die voorkoms van stres by die klientsisteem, is gevind dat die betrokke kliente nie alleen meer stres as nie-kliente ervaar nie, maar ook dat kliente op hulp met betrekking tot die bantering van hulle stres aangewese is. Ten einde maatskaplike werkers in staat te stel om kliente op 'n doelgerigte wyse met die hantering van stres te help, is 'n praktykmodel, gebaseer op die model van stres-inokulasieopleiding, ontwikkel. Hierdie model vir die implementering van streshanteringsprogramme deur maatskaplike werkers, is kongruent met maatskaplikewerk-waardes en die - hulpverleningsproses. Hoewel die bevindings van die loodsondersoek nie veralgemeen kan word nie, is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die model moontlik maatskaplike werkers in staat kan stel om klientsisteme met stresverwante probleme te help. Daar word voorgestel dat die model aan meer omvangryke en intensiewe evaluering blootgestel moet word. / The goals of this study were formulated in response to the question of whether the client system to whom the social worker directs help, experiences stress and to the question of how the client can be assisted in this regard by the social worker. The aims of the study were to ( 1) create a theoretical stress model for social work, (2) describe the stress phenomenon in a selected client system, (3) create a practice model for the implementation of stress management programmes by social workers and (4) execute the trial implementation and trial evaluation of the proposed model. The study was undertaken within the framework of the developmental research and utilization model. A research design which was chiefly descriptive, was used and qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were applied. A stress model. which can be utilized by social workers to describe and explain stress within client systems was created. This model is based on the model of ecological congruence and is compatible with the ecological systems approach in social work. In the empirical investigation of the prevalence of stress in the client system, it was found that clients not only experience more stress than non-clients, but also that clients are in need of help in managing their stress. To enable social workers to help clients purposefully in the management of stress, a practice model, based on the model of stress inoculation training, was developed. This model for the implementation of stress management programmes is consistent with social work values and the helping process in social work. Although the findings of the trial investigation cannot be generalised, it was concluded that the model could enable social workers to help client systems with stress related problems. It is recommended that the model be subjected to more extensive evaluation. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Maatskaplike Werk)

De senaste forskningarna gällande socialsekreterares arbetssituation tyder på att den psykosociala arbetsmiljön försämrats de senaste åren. Syftet med studien är att öka kunskapen om hur socialsekreterare inom socialtjänsten upplever den psykosociala arbetsmiljön, genom att beskriva och åskådliggöra vilka faktorer som bidrar till socialsekreterares psykosociala arbetsmiljö. För att svara på syftet har en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en induktiv ansats valts. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju socialsekreterare på socialtjänsten inom Hallands län. Intervjuguiden som använts är utformad utifrån Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrift om organisatorisk och social arbetsmiljö. De teoretiska ramverk som använts för att analysera resultatet är Sigvard Rubenowitz fem faktorer gällande en god psykosocial arbetsmiljö samt ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv.  Resultatet i studien visade att det som ligger till grund för upplevelserna av en god psykosocial arbetsmiljö är det fria handlingsutrymmet, att socialsekreterarna känner stöd från närmsta chef och även finner stöd från kollegor. Det som tyder på en sämre upplevd psykosocial arbetsmiljö är obalansen i arbetsbelastningen, bristande stöd från chefen och avsaknad av ledaregenskaper hos chefen. Resultatet visade även att den fysiska miljön är av betydelse för socialsekreterarnas psykosociala arbetsmiljö. / Recent researches regarding social workers job situation indicates that the psychosocial work environment has deteriorated in the last few years. The study aims to  increase knowledge about how social workers in the social services experiencing their psychosocial work environment by describing and illustrating the main factors that contributes to the psychosocial work environment for social workers. To answer the purpose of the study a qualitative method with an inductive approach was chosen. The empirical data was collected through semi-structured interviews with seven social workers in the social services in the county of Halland. The interview guide used in the interviews is designed based on the national regulations on organizational and social work environment The theoretical frame that was used to analyse the result is Sigvard Rubenowitz five factors regarding a good psychosocial work environment and a system theory perspective. The results of the study find that the base for good experiences of the psychosocial work environment is the free action space and the feeling of support from both managers and colleagues. The worse experiences of the psychosocial work environment aims to the imbalance in the workload, lack of support from managers and the lack of leadership skills. The results also find the importance of the physical environment and its impact on the psychosocial work environment

The aim of this dissertation is to examine the implementation of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in social services and how it affects the encounter between the clients and their social workers. As structured interviews are unusual in social service based addiction care there is concern that they will have negative consequences on the relation between the social workers and their clients. The first study therefore investigates the clients’ acceptance of the ASI. The results show that 95 % of the clients accepted the ASI and that 85% viewed it in positive terms. Approximately 8% reported feeling violated by one question without this having any negative effect on the relation to the social workers or confidence in the social services. The results did not give empirical support for negative effects of the ASI. In the second study a comparison was made between a group that had participated in an assessment session using the ASI and a group with which the ASI had not been used. The results show that there is no difference in perception of “the alliance” or “negative experiences” with or without the ASI, but that the clients’ feeling of “own competence” is lower when the ASI is employed. The question of whether the reduced feeling of own competence among the clients is an expression of greater realism and reduced denial or only the negative effect of increased helplessness on the clients’ self-esteem can not be resolved in this study. In the third study, based on the same groups participating in the second study, the social workers were also asked to judge how the clients experienced such assessment sessions. The results show that the social workers’ assessment of the clients’ experiences differed from the clients’ own experiences regarding the “alliance” and “clients’ own feelings of competence”. However, the social workers made a correct assessment of the clients’ “negative experiences” of the sessions. The two different forms of session, with or without the ASI, did not influence the social workers’ assessment of the clients’ perceptions. The fourth study presents the results of a national questionnaire completed by 555 members of staff in social services, the prison service, and addiction services. The results show that supervisors and bosses take an increasingly greater responsibility for ASI training and that opportunities for using the ASI varied according to the place of work. Differences can probably be explained by different services being in different phases of implementation at the time of the study. The ASI has primarily been used in direct client work and only to a minor extent for follow-ups and evaluation. The number of ASI interviews carried out is small especially for those trained prior to 1999.

This study is about social workers work with domestic violence. The aim of this study was to describe social workers work with domestic violence and to understand, from a gender perspective, differences in how social workers work with men exposed to violence respectively women exposed to violence. We have used a qualitative vignette study with eight social workers that work with, but not exclusively with, domestic violence. Four of them got a vignette with a case where a man was exposed to violence and four of them got a vignette with a case where a woman was exposed to violence. The only difference between the two vignettes was the sex of the person exposed to violence. Then we compared the answers we got from interviewees that got the case where a man was exposed to violence with the answers we got from the interviewees that got the case where a woman was exposed to violence in order to find differences in the answers. The main conclusions of this study was that the differences we found in the interviewees work with domestic violence, depending on the gender of the person exposed to violence, to a large extent can be understood through gender theory.

Thesis (MA (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / A study combining the explanatory and exploratory research methodologies was undertaken relating to the value base of social work and the application of social work values by social workers at a Government Department. An interest of the history, development and importance of the value base of social work, as well as the relative absence of specific South African literature and research results concerning the application of social work values in the South African context, prompted this particular study as a contribution to both the social work profession in the South African context and the service agency involved. An empirical study based on the literature study was performed on a test sample comprising 20 social workers at a District office of a Government Department in the Western Cape. The literature study investigated and explored the history and development of the value base of social work both as a profession and specifically in the South African context. The empirical study, by means of a questionnaire investigated the participants’ understanding of certain values as well as the nature, objectives and functions of social work. It also explores their application of basic social work values in their daily practice situation, together with obstacles faced by them in applying these values.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 1995. / Een kopie mikrofiche. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The application of the support function in supervision of undergraduate students in social work liberates the students' emotional energy in order to contribute to the success of the students. To be a source of support to the students, the supervisor must be aware of the possible causes of stress, the students' reaction thereto and methods in which they could deal with it. This exploratory study endeavours to create a scientifically based framework for the application of the support function in supervision of undergraduate students in social work in order to deal with stress. The causes of, reaction towards and ways in which undergraduate students in social work deal with stress were determined by means of questionnaires and described in terms of the students' personalities and their unique circumstances, their contact with the client system and supervision of the students. The respondents were 60 undergraduate students in social work. Conclusions and recommendations were made which focussed, amongst others, on the development of knowledge regarding the application of the support function in supervision, pro-active support, communication during support and application of the support function with regard to the practice education of the students. The framework of this research can be utilised by supervisors for effective supervision of undergraduate students in social work. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie in supervisie aan voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente stel die studente se emosionele energie vry ten einde tot suksesvolle studente by te dra. Om 'n bron van ondersteuning vir studente te wees, moet die supervisor bewus wees van die moontlike oorsake van stres, die studente se reaksies daarop en die wyses waarop stres hanteer kan word. Hierdie verkennende studie het ten doel om 'n wetenskaplik gefundeerde raamwerk daar te stel vir die toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie in supervisie aan voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente ten einde stres te hanteer. Die oorsake, reaksies en hantering van voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente se stres is deur middel van vraelyste bepaal en in terme van die studente se persoonlikheid en omstandighede, hulle kontak met die klientsisteem en supervisie aan die studente beskryf. Die respondente het uit 60 voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente bestaan. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings is gemaak wat onder andere gefokus het op ontwikkeling van kennis oor die toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie in supervisie, pro-aktiewe ondersteuning, kommunikasie tydens ondersteuning en toepassing van die ondersteuningsfunksie met betrekking tot studente se praktykopleiding. Die raamwerk van hierdie navorsingsverslag sal deur supervisors vir effektiewe supervisie aan voorgraadse maatskaplikewerkstudente benut kan word.

Sick leave due to mental illness has increased dramatically in recent decades and is today one of the main reasons why individuals become long-term sick. Social workers job situation within social service has in recent years attracted an increasing attention and the debate has largely been about the high workload in the profession. Mental illness for social workers is a growing problem and there are no signs of a positive trend shift. The purpose of this study was to create a wider understanding of why social workers are prevented to work due to mental illness, goes on medical leave, and find out if it is possible to identify which common factors in these social workers stories. To answer the study's purpose, two issues have been considered. Partly which factors long-term sick social workers identified as the reason for their mental illness that led to long-term illness, and how the long-term sick social workers describe their individual experiences before, during and after their sick leave. The methodology has been a qualitative design where eight long-term sick social workers scattered around the country conducted interviews via e-mail through a semi-structured interview guide. The result will be divided and presented in three themes; Social workers practical work which concerns the social workers descriptions of their work place in the social services and the factors of the organization that has affected their work situation. It also presents the social workers perception of the impact of political decisions concerning the field of social work. The theme of social workers profession presents the results that have emerged and concerns how social workers perceive and identify their professional role. The third theme of individual experiences by social workers presents the results concerning the personal reflections that social workers have about themselves and their future role as a professional social worker. The study results show that job related factors largely affected the individual's mental health. It is clear that the structures upon an organisational level, the complexity of the professional role contra individual ideals have affected and led to the social workers present situation of long-term sick due to mental illness. The concluding section of this paper discusses several components with potential for development as possible contributing solutions to the problematic situation that made these social workers sick. Social work education, leadership and skills development are areas that are challenged in our discussion. / Sjukskrivning på grund av psykisk ohälsa har ökat drastiskt de senaste decennierna och är idag en av de främsta anledningarna till varför individer blir långtidssjukskrivna. Socialsekreterares arbetssituation har under de senaste åren uppmärksammats allt mer och debatten har till stor del kommit att handla om den höga arbetsbelastningen inom yrket. Psykisk ohälsa för socialsekreterare är ett växande problem och trenden tycks vara svår att bryta. Syftet med den här studien har varit att skapa en ökad förståelse kring varför socialsekreterare blivit sjukskrivna på grund av psykisk ohälsa samt ta reda på om det går att urskilja gemensamma faktorer i socialsekreterarnas berättelser. För att besvara studiens syfte har två frågeställningar varit aktuella. Dels vilka faktorer som sjukskrivna socialsekreterare identifierat föranlett deras psykiska ohälsa som lett till långtidssjukskrivning och dels hur långtidssjukskrivna socialsekreterare beskriver sina individuella upplevelser innan, under och efter sin sjukskrivning. Metodvalet har varit av kvalitativ design där åtta långtidssjukskrivna socialsekreterare spridda över hela landet genomförde intervjuer via mail genom en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Resultatet delas upp och presenteras i tre teman; socialsekreterarens arbete som berör socialsekreterarnas beskrivning sin arbetsplats på socialtjänsten och de faktorer i organisationen som påverkat deras arbetssituation. Här presenteras även socialsekreterarnas bild av hur de ser på socialpolitikens påverkan av deras arbete. I temat socialsekreterarens yrkesroll presenteras de resultat som berör hur socialsekreterarna upplever och identifierar sin yrkesroll. I det tredje temat socialsekreterarens individuella upplevelser presenteras de resultat som berör de personliga reflektioner som socialsekreterarna har kring sig själva och sin framtida roll som yrkesverksam socialsekreterare. Studiens resultat visar att faktorer på arbetsplatsen i stor utsträckning påverkat individens psykiska ohälsa. Det framgår tydligt att organisatoriska strukturer, yrkesrollens komplexitet och individuella ideal har påverkat och föranlett att socialsekreterarna blivit långtidssjukskrivna på grund av psykisk ohälsa. I uppsatsens avslutande del diskuteras flera komponenter med utvecklingspotential som möjliga bidragande lösningar på den problematiska situationen som gjort dessa socialsekreterare sjuka. Socionomutbildningen, ledarskap och kompetensutveckling är områden som utmanas i vår diskussion.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work