Catrin Albrektsson | PowerUs

SOCIAL WORK CURRICULUM REVIEW CASE STUDY – Service Users Tell Us What Makes Effective Social Workers

Catrin Albrektsson — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 10:42:16 +0000

By: Elizabeth C. Watters, Cheryl-Ann Cait, Funke Oba

This paper presents the findings from Community focus groups, comprised of social service users, and explores the characteristics of effective social workers.

Focus groups were conducted as part of a case study to inform a Master of Social Work (MSW) curriculum review at Wilfrid Laurier University´s Faculty of Social Work. Wilfrid Laurier University has two MSW-programs–the MSW Aboriginal Field of Study (AFS) and a non-Aboriginal MSW program.

The case of this study was the non-Aboriginal MSW program. Ongoing program evaluation that includes feedback from service users honours the knowledge of marginalized communities, and is an accreditation requirement of the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE).

Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 24 individuals who access programs from human service organizations that provide supportive housing, immigrant, or refugee service in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

Service users identified numerous characterietics of effective social woerkers, including kindness, cultural awareness, and strong communication skills, sa well as the need to articulate and address issues of professional suitability. We conclude by querying whether, the typical assessment of MSW students´suitability for the profession is adequate, and provide the AFS wholistic and comprehensive evaluation as an example of an alternative approach to MSW student assessment.

Read the full study below:

SW Canada

Shaping our lifes – Peter Beresford on How Not to do service user involvement

Catrin Albrektsson — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:51:24 +0000

Radioprogram UNAFORIS PARIS 2017 with Cecilia Heule Catrin Albrektsson, PowerUs Sweden

Catrin Albrektsson — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 12:08:51 +0000

Listen to the program

Bindkracht

Catrin Albrektsson — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 11:43:29 +0000

Bindkracht at the EASSW/Unaforis conference in Paris 2017

Twisted

Catrin Albrektsson — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 10:59:20 +0000

A song about going to the psychologist, from a service user perspective. Written by Annie Ross and performed by Jonas, Sabina and Catrin from the Swedish PowerUs-team. (Rehearsals for the EASSW-UNAFORIS 2017 European Conference.)

L’apport du savoir expérientiel des personnes usagères au sein de la formation en travail social

Catrin Albrektsson — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 09:41:10 +0000

ri_145_2017.1_morin_et_lambert(1)Paul Morin, Ph.D., Professeur, École de travail social, Université de Sherbrooke, CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS paul.morin@usherbrooke.ca Annie Lambert, Ph.D., Professeure, École de travail social, Université de Sherbrooke annie.lambert@usherbrooke.ca

RÉSUMÉ : Ce texte a pour objectif de démontrer la pertinence du savoir expérientiel des usagers dans le cadre de la formation universitaire des futurs travailleurs sociaux en regard de la mise en œuvre de l’alliance avec la personne accompagnée. L’intégration des usagers dans la formation permet de réduire la distance sociale tout en favorisant la réflexion sur les inégalités structurelles. Ce texte s’appuie sur le modèle suédois du Gap Mending de l’école de travail social de l’Université de Lund. Les auteurs présentent plus particulièrement les aspects clés de la dimension relationnelle ciblés par des usagers lors d’une recherche norvégienne inspirée par l’approche anti-oppressive, tout en la reliant à la recension des écrits sur l’apport du savoir expérientiel dans le cadre de travaux menés à l’École de travail social de l’Université de Sherbrooke et visant la participation des usagers dans la formation.

Read full article here