• Pernille Lundsgaard
  • Nina Lunn Krogh Knudsen
7. term, Social Work, Bachelor (Professional Bachelor Programme)
This professions undergraduate project examines the opportunities that a social worker has to use her methods to advise drug addicts in the Copenhagen municipality in the process of social integration. The project highlights the policy framework ”The Sector Plan for the area of substance abuse” which a social worker is subject to,, and how it affects the social worker’s Methods that belongs to the profession. Furthermore, addicts’ wants and processes for social inclusion are examined in respect to the political framework embodied in the "Sector Plan for action on substance abuse field” (SFIS), and the advice received from the Social worker. Throughout the project, qualitative interviews are used to examined the social workers’ and the substance abuse addicts’ experiences obtained in connection with the social inclusion. The interviews are highlighted through the use of the phenomenological method, and they are discussed through the hermeneutics of science, and using Eriksson's sixth stage of psychosocial and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs motivation and social networks relevant to drug abusers are explained. In SFIS, the emphasis is on social inclusion through employment, social networks and social workers’ opportunity for user involvement. Social workers ensure user involvement through the motivational interview method and Shulmans interactions model for creating mutual trust and constant attention, and thereby raising the motivation of drug addicts in order to achieve social inclusion and employment. The project concludes that neither employment or social integration are the first objective that addicts have when they address the counseling center - their first objective is always to become drug free. Thereby, the policy framework, affects the desire for social inclusion by default, since it doesn’t take into account the full process an addict goes through - and thereby risking addicts isolate themselves further as day opportunities during the period while awaiting impatient is very limited. It can be difficult to provide individual opportunities for drug addicts. The ranges of alternatives for employment are limited, making it harder to strengthen the social network. Another challenge is also that there are not always opportunities to offer enough counseling hours to individual addiction. In light of the legislation, the project finds that the policy framework is inadequate and does not give social workers the opportunity to address addict's individual needs.
LanguageDanish
Publication date2009
Number of pages65
Publishing institutionInstitut for Sociologi, Socialt Arbejde og Organisation
ID: 17723165