Nina Mešl | University of Ljubljana (original) (raw)
Book Reviews by Nina Mešl
Prejeto 9. februarja 2018, sprejeto 9. aprila 2018 Socialno d elo, 56 (2018), 2: 95-14 Izvirni zn... more Prejeto 9. februarja 2018, sprejeto 9. aprila 2018 Socialno d elo, 56 (2018), 2: 95-14 Izvirni znanstveni članek K rešitvi usmerjen pristop v socialnem delu, v skladu s katerim socialne delavke upoštevajo in spoštujejo zmožnosti sogovornikov, da rešijo probleme, in svojo vlogo razumejo v ustvarjanju konteksta za možne spremembe, na Fakulteti za socialno delo razvijamo že dve desetletji. Dve generaciji študentk in študentov na modulu Psihosocialna podpora in pomoč sta pristop v okviru učnega procesa preizkušali v praksi. Posamezne spretnosti so uporabljali v kontekstu delovnega odnosa soustvarjanja z enim ali več sogovorniki na učni bazi. Kvalitativna analiza izpitnih nalog, v katerih so študentke in študenti predstavili uporabo pristopa in analizo procesa dela, je pokazala, da pristop ocenjujejo kot zelo podporen za socialno delo. Največkrat so se odločili za uporabo vprašanja izjem, vprašanja na lestvici, vprašanja čudeža in odnosnih vprašanj. Pri vseh pa so videli največji izziv v vztrajnem raziskovanju podrobnosti in spreminjanju govora, usmerjenega v problem, v govor, usmerjen k rešitvi. Ključne besede: pogovor, Fakulteta za socialno delo, perspektiva moči, psihosocialna podpora, socialno delo, kompetence. Nina Mešl je doktorica znanosti socialnega dela. Na Fakulteti za socialno delo Univerze v Ljubljani je zaposlena kot docentka za področje socialnega dela. Raziskovalno in pedagoško se ukvarja s procesi podpore in pomoči v socialnem delu, s posebnim zanimanjem za socialno delo z družino. Kontakt: nina.mesl@fsd.uni-lj.si.
Vprašanje razumevanja travm in podpore ljudem, ki se spoprijemajo s travmo, je v različnih obdobj... more Vprašanje razumevanja travm in podpore ljudem, ki se spoprijemajo s travmo, je v različnih obdobjih zgodovine sprožalo različne odzive družbe in strokovne javnosti. Danes se (znova) dobro zavedamo, da je tema travme in ravnanja ob njej relevantna za vse poklice, ki se srečujejo z ljudmi in jim zagotavljajo različ-ne oblike podpore in pomoči. Socialno delo se srečuje s temo travm že od začetka delovanja. Danes je v svetu vse bolj odmevno razvijanje praks (in celotnih služb) po pristopu, te-melječem na razumevanju travm [trauma informed pracitices]. V Sloveniji je oziroma bo to aktualen izziv. Izid v slovenščino prevedene knjige P. Levina (2015) pomeni dobrodošel ko-rak v smeri večjega razumevanja tega kompleksnega področja in prinaša novo znanje o travmi. Gre ne le za dopolnitev aktualnega vedenja s področja, ampak za paradigmatski premik k razumevanju procesov, povezanih s travmo. Knjiga Kako prebuditi tigra je v izvirniku izšla leta 1997. Do danes je bila prevedena v številne jezike in zdaj je dostopna tudi slovenski javnosti. Avtor, doktor medi-cinske biofizike in psihologije, je eden izmed ta hip vodilnih strokovnjakov za področje travm in zase pravi, da si že več kot polovico življenja prizadeva razvozlati širne skrivnosti travme (str. 11). Avtor je na podlagi številnih praktičnih izkušenj, preučevanja področij fiziologije, nevroznanosti, živalskega vedenja, matematike in psiholo-gije razvil nov pristop za delo na področju travm, imenovan somatsko doživljanje®. Ko sem prvič brala angleško različico, me je navdušil že sam uvod, v katerem avtor zapiše, da je travma življenjsko dejstvo, ni pa nujno, da je hkrati tudi dosmrtna obsodba. Ne samo, da je travmo mogoče oz-draviti, ob ustrezni podpori je lahko tudi preobražajoča (str. 12). Že uvodoma avtor povabi bralko, bralca na pot celostnega razumevanja travm, ki jo je človeška civilizacija v stoletjih razvoja velikokrat povsem reducirala na umski del. Izhaja iz teze, da ne moremo zares razumeti in zdraviti travme, če ne pristopimo k telesu in umu skupaj, saj sta povezana celota. Knjiga se osredotoča predvsem na travme kot posledice šoka. Ne loteva se poglobljeno razvojnih travm, povezanih s psihološkimi vprašanji, ki so navadno posledica neustreznih izkušenj v ključnih razvojnih ob-dobjih otroštva. A avtor pravi (str. 18): Četudi sta dinamiki, ki ju povzročata, različni, so lahko posledice okrutnosti in zanemarjanja simp-tomi, ki so podobni in pogosto prepleteni s simptomi travme kot posledice šoka. Knjiga je razdeljena na štiri dele in številna podpoglavja. V prvem delu knjige, z naslovom Telo kot zdravi-lec (str. 21–96), avtor predstavi izkustveni občutek, ki nam pomaga prepoznati težko opredeljivo travmo. Meni namreč, da je uradna opredelitev, uporabljena za diagnosticiranje travme, uporabno izhodišče le do določene mere, a obstaja še veliko potencialno travmatičnih dogodkov, ki sodijo v sivo področje (npr. ne-sreče, padci, bolezni in operacije). V tem delu je novo razumevanje travme na podlagi opazovanja narave in vedenja živalskega sveta ob travmatičnih dogodkih. Pri živalih je odziv spremenjenega stanja zavesti, poimenovanega tudi odziv negibnosti ali zamrznitev, ko se spoprimejo s premočno grožnjo, običajen, nam ljudem pa sta veliko bolj znana boj in beg. O odzivu z negibnostjo vemo precej manj, vendar je avtor na Peter A. Levine, Ann Frederick (2015)
![Research paper thumbnail of Roel Bowkamp and Sonja Bowkamp in collaboration with Clara Bartelds (2014). Blizu doma [Close to Home]. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Pedagoška fakulteta, Inštitut za družinsko terapijo, 386 pp. ISBN 978-961-237-650-5.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/51031167/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Papers by Nina Mešl
Children and youth services review, Jun 1, 2024
CEPS Journal, 2024
The article presents an example of social work education, in which re-flexive practice learning w... more The article presents an example of social work education, in which re-flexive practice learning was used to help students work competently in professional practice. Within an action research project, new forms of mentoring support for students working with families facing multiple challenges were developed as part of their practice learning. This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of the students’ reflections on mentoring meetings. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis shows that practice learning should be framed as a reflexive dialogue between mentors and students. Students need opportunities to share experiences and expand their knowledge with other students in small mentoring groups. The continuous and concrete support that the mentoring group provided to the students in practice enabled them to deal with the sense of uncertainty that often arises in collaborative processes of help.
Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal
The article presents an example of social work education, in which reflexive practice learning wa... more The article presents an example of social work education, in which reflexive practice learning was used to help students work competently in professional practice. Within an action research project, new forms of mentoring support for students working with families facing multiple challenges were developed as part of their practice learning. This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of the students’ reflections on mentoring meetings. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis shows that practice learning should be framed as a reflexive dialogue between mentors and students. Students need opportunities to share experiences and expand their knowledge with other students in small mentoring groups. The continuous and concrete support that the mentoring group provided to the students in practice enabled them to deal with the sense of uncertainty that often arises in collaborative processes of help.
Routledge eBooks, Feb 28, 2023
Revista Calitatea Vieții
The study is part of a comprehensive research project launched within the framework of COST Actio... more The study is part of a comprehensive research project launched within the framework of COST Action “The pan-European Family Support Network: A bottom-up, evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach” (EurofamNet, code CA18123). In this project, an exercise of mapping international organizations on skills qualification in family support has been developed. The aim of this study was to examine the profile of organizations and analyze their web-provided content to identify, describe and catalogue available data on basic professional skills, promoted, developed, and applied in family support work. The final sample includes 88 international and European organizations working with families with children and youth in various fields (psychology, social work, health, law, etc.) identified by the snowball technique. Using the method of web-content analysis three interconnected maps of bodies in the field were developed, highlighting a general profile of the organizations, and a wide range of...
Socialno delo, Dec 30, 2022
The British Journal of Social Work
The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia.... more The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia. Governmental measures to prevent the spread of the disease have increased the need for assistance to various groups of people but at the same time limited their access to social services. The main research question was to what extent social workers and social services were able to reorganise and adapt to crisis conditions and how this relates to the role of social work in society. Data were collected using mixed methods: online survey and interviews with social workers. Content analysis and selective coding, thematic analysis and univariate descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The analysis shows that the ability of social workers to respond to the growing and changing needs of people during the pandemic depended on the context in which they worked. Social work was perceived as more effective and responsive in social services where professional autonomy was assured and val...
British Journal of Social Work, 2022
The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia.... more The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia. Governmental measures to prevent the spread of the disease have increased the need for assistance to various groups of people but at the same time limited their access to social services. The main research question was to what extent social workers and social services were able to reorganise and adapt to crisis conditions and how this relates to the role of social work in society. Data were collected using mixed methods: online survey and interviews with social workers. Content analysis and selective coding, thematic analysis, and univariate descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The analysis shows that the ability of social workers to respond to the growing and changing needs of people during the pandemic depended on the context in which they worked. Social work was perceived as more effective and responsive in social services where professional autonomy was assured and valued and where horizontal relationships existed between staff and management. The study contributed to a better understanding of the context in which the pandemic occurred and identified some structural barriers to successful social work that are internationally comparable and relevant.
Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses, with children’s school performance being... more Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses, with children’s school performance being one of the common topics. A life of poverty and the related unfavourable circumstances should not define children’s life stories. Ensuring this is not the case is partly the responsibility of professionals working with families. It is important to overcome the problem of the frequently dispersed help given to multi-challenged families. We proceed from the premise that the vicious circle of failures can be broken by providing support and help to the family and by establishing a co-creative working relationship involving all of the participants in a joint working project. The results of the plural case study confirmed the importance of working with multi-challenged families, which includes dealing with the children’s poor school performance, in their homes. They also showed the inadequacy of the often dominant discourse claiming that families do not want to receive help. The results prior...
Teorija in praksa, 2021
V članku opozorimo na vlogo vrtcev in šol v kontekstu zavedanja o razširjenosti in dolgoročnih ne... more V članku opozorimo na vlogo vrtcev in šol v kontekstu zavedanja o razširjenosti in dolgoročnih negativnih posledicah izpostavljenosti otrok potencialno travmatičnim izkušnjam. Prikazani so rezultati kvalitativne raziskave, pridobljene z izvedbo fokusnih skupin s 43 vzgojitelji/cami predšolskih otrok, učitelji/cami razredne stopnje in svetovalnimi delavkami v slovenskih vrtcih in šolah na temo prepoznavanja posledic travmatičnih izkušenj, strategij ukrepanja in želenih sprememb na področju razvoja ustreznih odzivov. Sodelujoči se zavedajo pomena travmatičnih izkušenj otrok in jih tudi prepoznavajo, ne čutijo pa se dovolj usposobljeni za ukrepanje; poudarjajo pomen medsektorskega in interdisciplinarnega povezovanja na ravni države, namenjenega preprečevanju travmatičnih izkušenj in medgeneracijskega prenosa travm. Članek prinaša tudi izhodišča smernic za eksplicitno in sistematično obravnavo te problematike v okviru vrtcev in šol v Sloveniji. Ključni pojmi: travmatične izkušnje, vrtci...
Social Work, 2010
Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in t... more Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in the midst of complex interactions between individuals, the family and the community. The proposed model of social work with families presented in this paper is designed for students, practitioners and academics to help them refl ect on theories used in helping processes and their infl uences on direct practice in those instances in which social workers seek answers on how to act in complex processes of providing help to families. The model encourages the use of theoretical knowledge and off ers social workers a choice of diff erent theoretical concepts, which they can refl exively use in specifi c practical cases to co-create good results for families, while their members and the social worker collaborate in a unique working project of help. At the same time they all contribute to the development of a useful theory for the practice of social work with families. 1 Nina Mesl, Ph.D., social ...
![Research paper thumbnail of Roel Bowkamp and Sonja Bowkamp in collaboration with Clara Bartelds (2014). Blizu doma [Close to Home]. Ljubljana: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, Pedagoška fakulteta, Inštitut za družinsko terapijo, 386 pp. ISBN 978-961-237-650-5](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/84692946/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 2017
Ljetopis Socijalnog Rada, Jan 18, 2013
Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 2016
Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses. Children's school performance is one... more Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses. Children's school performance is one of the common topics. A life of poverty and the related unfavourable circumstances should not define children's life stories, which is also the responsibility of professionals working with families. It is important to overcome the problem of the frequently dispersed help given to multi-challenged families. We proceed from the premise that the vicious circle of failures can be terminated by support and help to the family and by a co-creative working relationship involving all the participants in a joint working project. The results of the plural case study confirmed the importance of working with multi-challenged families, which includes dealing with the children's poor school performance, in their homes. They also showed the inadequacy of the often dominant discourse claiming that families do not want to receive help. The results prioritise the role of social workers and the rel...
Strategies for dealing with learned helplessness are a frequently discussed topic in working with... more Strategies for dealing with learned helplessness are a frequently discussed topic in working with children who have learning diffi culties. The authors’ premise is that the role of a child in a learning process and the relationship established with him/her need to be redefi ned. The aim of this paper is to fi nd some answers in contemporary social work concepts based on our theoretical understanding, relating to practical experiences and research fi ndings in the project Co-creation of Learning and Help led by the Faculty of Social Work, which was a part of a research conducted with the Faculty of Education. A qualitative analysis of the action research shows that it is crucial to establish an individual working project of help with all who can participate in cocreating help and support for a child’s school success and within which children are active co-workers in all work phases in order to prevent
Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in t... more Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in the midst of complex interactions between individuals, the family and the community. The proposed model of social work with families presented in this paper is designed for students, practitioners and academics to help them refl ect on theories used in helping processes and their infl uences on direct practice in those instances in which social workers seek answers on how to act in complex processes of providing help to families. The model encourages the use of theoretical knowledge and off ers social workers a choice of diff erent theoretical concepts, which they can refl exively use in specifi c practical cases to co-create good results for families, while their members and the social worker collaborate in a unique working project of help. At the same time they all contribute to the development of a useful theory for the practice of social work with families.
Prejeto 9. februarja 2018, sprejeto 9. aprila 2018 Socialno d elo, 56 (2018), 2: 95-14 Izvirni zn... more Prejeto 9. februarja 2018, sprejeto 9. aprila 2018 Socialno d elo, 56 (2018), 2: 95-14 Izvirni znanstveni članek K rešitvi usmerjen pristop v socialnem delu, v skladu s katerim socialne delavke upoštevajo in spoštujejo zmožnosti sogovornikov, da rešijo probleme, in svojo vlogo razumejo v ustvarjanju konteksta za možne spremembe, na Fakulteti za socialno delo razvijamo že dve desetletji. Dve generaciji študentk in študentov na modulu Psihosocialna podpora in pomoč sta pristop v okviru učnega procesa preizkušali v praksi. Posamezne spretnosti so uporabljali v kontekstu delovnega odnosa soustvarjanja z enim ali več sogovorniki na učni bazi. Kvalitativna analiza izpitnih nalog, v katerih so študentke in študenti predstavili uporabo pristopa in analizo procesa dela, je pokazala, da pristop ocenjujejo kot zelo podporen za socialno delo. Največkrat so se odločili za uporabo vprašanja izjem, vprašanja na lestvici, vprašanja čudeža in odnosnih vprašanj. Pri vseh pa so videli največji izziv v vztrajnem raziskovanju podrobnosti in spreminjanju govora, usmerjenega v problem, v govor, usmerjen k rešitvi. Ključne besede: pogovor, Fakulteta za socialno delo, perspektiva moči, psihosocialna podpora, socialno delo, kompetence. Nina Mešl je doktorica znanosti socialnega dela. Na Fakulteti za socialno delo Univerze v Ljubljani je zaposlena kot docentka za področje socialnega dela. Raziskovalno in pedagoško se ukvarja s procesi podpore in pomoči v socialnem delu, s posebnim zanimanjem za socialno delo z družino. Kontakt: nina.mesl@fsd.uni-lj.si.
Vprašanje razumevanja travm in podpore ljudem, ki se spoprijemajo s travmo, je v različnih obdobj... more Vprašanje razumevanja travm in podpore ljudem, ki se spoprijemajo s travmo, je v različnih obdobjih zgodovine sprožalo različne odzive družbe in strokovne javnosti. Danes se (znova) dobro zavedamo, da je tema travme in ravnanja ob njej relevantna za vse poklice, ki se srečujejo z ljudmi in jim zagotavljajo različ-ne oblike podpore in pomoči. Socialno delo se srečuje s temo travm že od začetka delovanja. Danes je v svetu vse bolj odmevno razvijanje praks (in celotnih služb) po pristopu, te-melječem na razumevanju travm [trauma informed pracitices]. V Sloveniji je oziroma bo to aktualen izziv. Izid v slovenščino prevedene knjige P. Levina (2015) pomeni dobrodošel ko-rak v smeri večjega razumevanja tega kompleksnega področja in prinaša novo znanje o travmi. Gre ne le za dopolnitev aktualnega vedenja s področja, ampak za paradigmatski premik k razumevanju procesov, povezanih s travmo. Knjiga Kako prebuditi tigra je v izvirniku izšla leta 1997. Do danes je bila prevedena v številne jezike in zdaj je dostopna tudi slovenski javnosti. Avtor, doktor medi-cinske biofizike in psihologije, je eden izmed ta hip vodilnih strokovnjakov za področje travm in zase pravi, da si že več kot polovico življenja prizadeva razvozlati širne skrivnosti travme (str. 11). Avtor je na podlagi številnih praktičnih izkušenj, preučevanja področij fiziologije, nevroznanosti, živalskega vedenja, matematike in psiholo-gije razvil nov pristop za delo na področju travm, imenovan somatsko doživljanje®. Ko sem prvič brala angleško različico, me je navdušil že sam uvod, v katerem avtor zapiše, da je travma življenjsko dejstvo, ni pa nujno, da je hkrati tudi dosmrtna obsodba. Ne samo, da je travmo mogoče oz-draviti, ob ustrezni podpori je lahko tudi preobražajoča (str. 12). Že uvodoma avtor povabi bralko, bralca na pot celostnega razumevanja travm, ki jo je človeška civilizacija v stoletjih razvoja velikokrat povsem reducirala na umski del. Izhaja iz teze, da ne moremo zares razumeti in zdraviti travme, če ne pristopimo k telesu in umu skupaj, saj sta povezana celota. Knjiga se osredotoča predvsem na travme kot posledice šoka. Ne loteva se poglobljeno razvojnih travm, povezanih s psihološkimi vprašanji, ki so navadno posledica neustreznih izkušenj v ključnih razvojnih ob-dobjih otroštva. A avtor pravi (str. 18): Četudi sta dinamiki, ki ju povzročata, različni, so lahko posledice okrutnosti in zanemarjanja simp-tomi, ki so podobni in pogosto prepleteni s simptomi travme kot posledice šoka. Knjiga je razdeljena na štiri dele in številna podpoglavja. V prvem delu knjige, z naslovom Telo kot zdravi-lec (str. 21–96), avtor predstavi izkustveni občutek, ki nam pomaga prepoznati težko opredeljivo travmo. Meni namreč, da je uradna opredelitev, uporabljena za diagnosticiranje travme, uporabno izhodišče le do določene mere, a obstaja še veliko potencialno travmatičnih dogodkov, ki sodijo v sivo področje (npr. ne-sreče, padci, bolezni in operacije). V tem delu je novo razumevanje travme na podlagi opazovanja narave in vedenja živalskega sveta ob travmatičnih dogodkih. Pri živalih je odziv spremenjenega stanja zavesti, poimenovanega tudi odziv negibnosti ali zamrznitev, ko se spoprimejo s premočno grožnjo, običajen, nam ljudem pa sta veliko bolj znana boj in beg. O odzivu z negibnostjo vemo precej manj, vendar je avtor na Peter A. Levine, Ann Frederick (2015)
Children and youth services review, Jun 1, 2024
CEPS Journal, 2024
The article presents an example of social work education, in which re-flexive practice learning w... more The article presents an example of social work education, in which re-flexive practice learning was used to help students work competently in professional practice. Within an action research project, new forms of mentoring support for students working with families facing multiple challenges were developed as part of their practice learning. This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of the students’ reflections on mentoring meetings. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis shows that practice learning should be framed as a reflexive dialogue between mentors and students. Students need opportunities to share experiences and expand their knowledge with other students in small mentoring groups. The continuous and concrete support that the mentoring group provided to the students in practice enabled them to deal with the sense of uncertainty that often arises in collaborative processes of help.
Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal
The article presents an example of social work education, in which reflexive practice learning wa... more The article presents an example of social work education, in which reflexive practice learning was used to help students work competently in professional practice. Within an action research project, new forms of mentoring support for students working with families facing multiple challenges were developed as part of their practice learning. This paper presents the results of a qualitative analysis of the students’ reflections on mentoring meetings. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis shows that practice learning should be framed as a reflexive dialogue between mentors and students. Students need opportunities to share experiences and expand their knowledge with other students in small mentoring groups. The continuous and concrete support that the mentoring group provided to the students in practice enabled them to deal with the sense of uncertainty that often arises in collaborative processes of help.
Routledge eBooks, Feb 28, 2023
Revista Calitatea Vieții
The study is part of a comprehensive research project launched within the framework of COST Actio... more The study is part of a comprehensive research project launched within the framework of COST Action “The pan-European Family Support Network: A bottom-up, evidence-based and multidisciplinary approach” (EurofamNet, code CA18123). In this project, an exercise of mapping international organizations on skills qualification in family support has been developed. The aim of this study was to examine the profile of organizations and analyze their web-provided content to identify, describe and catalogue available data on basic professional skills, promoted, developed, and applied in family support work. The final sample includes 88 international and European organizations working with families with children and youth in various fields (psychology, social work, health, law, etc.) identified by the snowball technique. Using the method of web-content analysis three interconnected maps of bodies in the field were developed, highlighting a general profile of the organizations, and a wide range of...
Socialno delo, Dec 30, 2022
The British Journal of Social Work
The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia.... more The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia. Governmental measures to prevent the spread of the disease have increased the need for assistance to various groups of people but at the same time limited their access to social services. The main research question was to what extent social workers and social services were able to reorganise and adapt to crisis conditions and how this relates to the role of social work in society. Data were collected using mixed methods: online survey and interviews with social workers. Content analysis and selective coding, thematic analysis and univariate descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The analysis shows that the ability of social workers to respond to the growing and changing needs of people during the pandemic depended on the context in which they worked. Social work was perceived as more effective and responsive in social services where professional autonomy was assured and val...
British Journal of Social Work, 2022
The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia.... more The article discusses the results of a research study on social work during COVID-19 in Slovenia. Governmental measures to prevent the spread of the disease have increased the need for assistance to various groups of people but at the same time limited their access to social services. The main research question was to what extent social workers and social services were able to reorganise and adapt to crisis conditions and how this relates to the role of social work in society. Data were collected using mixed methods: online survey and interviews with social workers. Content analysis and selective coding, thematic analysis, and univariate descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The analysis shows that the ability of social workers to respond to the growing and changing needs of people during the pandemic depended on the context in which they worked. Social work was perceived as more effective and responsive in social services where professional autonomy was assured and valued and where horizontal relationships existed between staff and management. The study contributed to a better understanding of the context in which the pandemic occurred and identified some structural barriers to successful social work that are internationally comparable and relevant.
Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses, with children’s school performance being... more Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses, with children’s school performance being one of the common topics. A life of poverty and the related unfavourable circumstances should not define children’s life stories. Ensuring this is not the case is partly the responsibility of professionals working with families. It is important to overcome the problem of the frequently dispersed help given to multi-challenged families. We proceed from the premise that the vicious circle of failures can be broken by providing support and help to the family and by establishing a co-creative working relationship involving all of the participants in a joint working project. The results of the plural case study confirmed the importance of working with multi-challenged families, which includes dealing with the children’s poor school performance, in their homes. They also showed the inadequacy of the often dominant discourse claiming that families do not want to receive help. The results prior...
Teorija in praksa, 2021
V članku opozorimo na vlogo vrtcev in šol v kontekstu zavedanja o razširjenosti in dolgoročnih ne... more V članku opozorimo na vlogo vrtcev in šol v kontekstu zavedanja o razširjenosti in dolgoročnih negativnih posledicah izpostavljenosti otrok potencialno travmatičnim izkušnjam. Prikazani so rezultati kvalitativne raziskave, pridobljene z izvedbo fokusnih skupin s 43 vzgojitelji/cami predšolskih otrok, učitelji/cami razredne stopnje in svetovalnimi delavkami v slovenskih vrtcih in šolah na temo prepoznavanja posledic travmatičnih izkušenj, strategij ukrepanja in želenih sprememb na področju razvoja ustreznih odzivov. Sodelujoči se zavedajo pomena travmatičnih izkušenj otrok in jih tudi prepoznavajo, ne čutijo pa se dovolj usposobljeni za ukrepanje; poudarjajo pomen medsektorskega in interdisciplinarnega povezovanja na ravni države, namenjenega preprečevanju travmatičnih izkušenj in medgeneracijskega prenosa travm. Članek prinaša tudi izhodišča smernic za eksplicitno in sistematično obravnavo te problematike v okviru vrtcev in šol v Sloveniji. Ključni pojmi: travmatične izkušnje, vrtci...
Social Work, 2010
Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in t... more Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in the midst of complex interactions between individuals, the family and the community. The proposed model of social work with families presented in this paper is designed for students, practitioners and academics to help them refl ect on theories used in helping processes and their infl uences on direct practice in those instances in which social workers seek answers on how to act in complex processes of providing help to families. The model encourages the use of theoretical knowledge and off ers social workers a choice of diff erent theoretical concepts, which they can refl exively use in specifi c practical cases to co-create good results for families, while their members and the social worker collaborate in a unique working project of help. At the same time they all contribute to the development of a useful theory for the practice of social work with families. 1 Nina Mesl, Ph.D., social ...
Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 2017
Ljetopis Socijalnog Rada, Jan 18, 2013
Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 2016
Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses. Children's school performance is one... more Families facing poverty suffer from many other stresses. Children's school performance is one of the common topics. A life of poverty and the related unfavourable circumstances should not define children's life stories, which is also the responsibility of professionals working with families. It is important to overcome the problem of the frequently dispersed help given to multi-challenged families. We proceed from the premise that the vicious circle of failures can be terminated by support and help to the family and by a co-creative working relationship involving all the participants in a joint working project. The results of the plural case study confirmed the importance of working with multi-challenged families, which includes dealing with the children's poor school performance, in their homes. They also showed the inadequacy of the often dominant discourse claiming that families do not want to receive help. The results prioritise the role of social workers and the rel...
Strategies for dealing with learned helplessness are a frequently discussed topic in working with... more Strategies for dealing with learned helplessness are a frequently discussed topic in working with children who have learning diffi culties. The authors’ premise is that the role of a child in a learning process and the relationship established with him/her need to be redefi ned. The aim of this paper is to fi nd some answers in contemporary social work concepts based on our theoretical understanding, relating to practical experiences and research fi ndings in the project Co-creation of Learning and Help led by the Faculty of Social Work, which was a part of a research conducted with the Faculty of Education. A qualitative analysis of the action research shows that it is crucial to establish an individual working project of help with all who can participate in cocreating help and support for a child’s school success and within which children are active co-workers in all work phases in order to prevent
Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in t... more Social work with families is a specifi c social work fi eld in which the social worker works in the midst of complex interactions between individuals, the family and the community. The proposed model of social work with families presented in this paper is designed for students, practitioners and academics to help them refl ect on theories used in helping processes and their infl uences on direct practice in those instances in which social workers seek answers on how to act in complex processes of providing help to families. The model encourages the use of theoretical knowledge and off ers social workers a choice of diff erent theoretical concepts, which they can refl exively use in specifi c practical cases to co-create good results for families, while their members and the social worker collaborate in a unique working project of help. At the same time they all contribute to the development of a useful theory for the practice of social work with families.
European Journal of Social Work
ABSTRACT The findings on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and outcom... more ABSTRACT The findings on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and outcomes in adulthood cover a wide subject area. In order to understand the results of ACE studies and plan adequate measures, the role of social work should not be disregarded. This paper studies the topic of ACEs, positive childhood experiences and the association with the subjective experience of poverty, which has rarely been addressed, but is relevant to social work. The research was based on simple and extended ACE questionnaires and was conducted amongst the adult population of Slovenia (n = 4939). The results found that adverse material position is associated with a higher amount of adverse and a lower amount of positive childhood experiences (on average, people with adverse material position have 3.43 ACEs and 7.77 positive experiences, while those with better material position have only 1.75 ACEs and 9.82 positive experiences). Social work needs to provide measures on a systemic level to improve the material position of families and to develop programmes based on the poverty aware paradigm to support partnership and interparental relationships in order to decrease the incidence of ACE. In addition, people need adequate support (e.g. trauma-informed care) when recovering from ACE and to enhance their resilience.
European journal of social work, 2021
ABSTRACT The findings on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and outcom... more ABSTRACT
The findings on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences
(ACEs) and outcomes in adulthood cover a wide subject area. In order to
understand the results of ACE studies and plan adequate measures, the
role of social work should not be disregarded. This paper studies the
topic of ACEs, positive childhood experiences and the association with
the subjective experience of poverty, which has rarely been addressed,
but is relevant to social work. The research was based on simple and
extended ACE questionnaires and was conducted amongst the adult
population of Slovenia (n = 4939). The results found that adverse
material position is associated with a higher amount of adverse and a
lower amount of positive childhood experiences (on average, people
with adverse material position have 3.43 ACEs and 7.77 positive
experiences, while those with better material position have only 1.75
ACEs and 9.82 positive experiences). Social work needs to provide
measures on a systemic level to improve the material position of
families and to develop programmes based on the poverty aware
paradigm to support partnership and interparental relationships in
order to decrease the incidence of ACE. In addition, people need
adequate support (e.g. trauma-informed care) when recovering from
ACE and to enhance their resilience.
V poglavju avtorici prikažeta specifične življenjske okoliščine družin s številnimi izzi vi in m... more V poglavju avtorici prikažeta specifične življenjske okoliščine družin s številnimi izzi vi in model sodelovalnih procesov socialnega dela z družino v skupnosti, ki je prikaz razvitega sodobnega teoretskega znanja, oblikovanega v sodelovalnih projektih pomoči z družinami. Ob izhodiščnem konceptu delovnega odnosa soustvarjanja in izvirnega delovnega projekta pomoči z družinami v skupnosti podrobneje predstavita štiri ključ ne teme za razumevanje in udejanjanje modela: odpornost družin s številnimi izzivi; pomen odnosa v sodelovalnih procesih podpore in pomoči; sodelovanje z družino na njenem domu, s čimer lažje dosežemo ljudi za soustvarjanje želenih izidov; nujnost po vezovanja in sodelovanja vseh, ki so vpeti v podporo in pomoč družini. Ključne besede: sodelovalno socialno delo, izvirni delovni projekt pomoči in sodelova-nja, preseganje razpršenosti pomoči, model sodelovanja z družino v skupnosti Uvod Socialno delo je znanost in stroka, kjer nimamo vnaprej podanih odgovorov o želenih izidih. To ne pomeni, da v vsakem izvirnem delovnem projektu pomoči (v nadaljevan ju: IDPP) iz nič ustvarjamo novo: v socialnem delu z družino imamo razvita sodobna znanja, ki so pomembno izhodišče, ko jih kot znanje za ravnanje uporabimo v dialogu z ljudmi. Imamo oporo v znanjih, iz katerih črpamo odgovore na to, kako voditi procese podpore in pomoči, kako vzpostaviti odnos, kako prispevati h krepitvi odpornosti ljudi. Kljub temu je vsako sodelovanje z ljudmi novo potovanje k želenim spremembam, ki jih je treba šele raziskati, in soustvariti pogoje, da bi jih lahko uresničili.
Social work with people with complex psychosocial problems demands the continued development of k... more Social work with people with complex psychosocial problems demands the continued development of knowledge and the co-creation of new responses to specific everyday challenges people face. In this chapter, the authors present a model of collaborative processes of social work with families in a community that shows deep contemporary theoretical knowledge, which can be used in social work with families. The experiences of the families in the project confirm that the social work profession requires a shift from the often (too) rigid institutional frameworks to people in a community, wherein the individual working project of help, all participants meet and actively participate in the co-creation of the desired outcomes at the human level. Thus, social workers are faced with an urgent task to share their theoretical knowledge with people, their interlocutors in the working process, as this is the only way to provide a space for the co-creation of desired outcomes. Therefore, it is important that practical learning within the studies is established as a collaborative dialogue between a student and a mentor at the faculty – in this way students get the opportunity to reflect on their own behaviour and the development of new knowledge that can be verbalised within processes of support and help. The reflexive use of knowledge is also crucial for the further development of the science and social work profession.