Factores descriptores de la intervención con familias especialmente vulnerables y sus sistemas amplios desde el trabajo socialla perspectiva del profesional

Résumé

Introduction Families in special distress are usually involved simultaneously with different formal helping systems. These relationships often last for years, even generations, and this chronification generates feelings of hopelessness and despair not only in families, but also in the professionals who work with them. Collaborative practices have demonstrated their effectiveness in social work with families, being a way to actively involve both the members of the family system and the professionals that make up the helping macrosystem. Thus, social workers can develop these practices by honoring the expertise of the family system, respecting their wishes and preferences, and accompanying them in the process of change. Likewise, it is essential to develop a cooperative and collaborative work with the other professionals involved, to avoid duplication of actions and to contribute to the development of a holistic, integral intervention. Collaborative practices draw on different theoretical approaches, such as the narrative approach, solution-focused intervention or strategic brief intervention. The common factors that explain change in socio-relational intervention are also fundamental in the development of a collaborative approach. Consequently, the helping alliance, the involvement of members of the family system in the intervention process, the generation of positive expectations and systematic feedback become the foundations for a successful collaborative development. Investigation content The present investigation is descriptive, and arises from the need to know the perspective of the social workers of basic community social services across Mallorca, in relation to the development of a collaborative approach with families in special distress. To this end, an Inventory for the Development of Collaborative Practices in Social Work with Families in Special Distress has been compiled, with the objective of finding out the level of importance and the level of realization that participants (N = 121) give to the different intervention criteria included in that inventory. In addition, it aims to provide an insight into the perceived self-efficacy and expectations of success that they have, as well as their levels of work engagement, for which purpose participants completed the Battery of Generalized Expectancies of Control Scales (BEEGC-20) and the Work and Well-Being Survey (UWES). . Conclusions The results indicate that most social workers value and perform to a greater extent those intervention criteria related, on the one hand, with basic issues in social casework, such as active listening, respect and empathy and, on the other hand, with criteria related to the management and bureaucracy of the case which they are working with. The criteria that, although considered very important, are carried out to a lesser extent, are related to systematic feedback, the formulation of clear and concrete objectives, and the interest in knowing the expectations of the person/family (both in relation to the professional and the intervention process). The least valued and performed criteria have to do with issues that involve reflective processes in the helping relationship, both with the family and with the rest of the professionals involved. These results allow us to open new paths to contribute to the development of a collaborative approach with these families in the field of social work.