Exploring human service practitioners' community work
Date
2001
Authors
Field, Anne Patricia
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Abstract
This study was inspired by the author's work experience within an inner-city community in Victoria, B.C. where she became troubled by the ineffectiveness of individualized problem-focused human service approaches to working with families. While the literature of alternative human service approaches revealed some promising possibilities for effective community building work, there appeared to be a lack of information about how practitioners actually perform their everyday community work. This study focused on the experiences of six human service practitioners who demonstrated a different orientation in their work with families, that was collaborative, strengths-focused and community involved. The research goal was to understand how they experienced their community work and the conditions that supported or impeded their approach. A series of focus groups were used to explore the practitioners' experiences. Three general theme categories emerged that captured the breadth of their community work: Nature of Community Work, Supports and Barriers to Community Work and Particular Kind of Practitioner. The participants valued building mutual and caring relationships with community members, which enabled them to work together to meet individual and collective needs and to discover community solutions to common issues. Practice implications arising from this project are discussed and further research questions to address the promotion of effective community work are presented.