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The role of social work in the field of mental health: dual diagnoses as a challenge for social workers
- Authors:
- KVATERNIK Ines, GREBENC Vera
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 12(4), December 2009, pp.509-521.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This paper provides a discussion about the relevance of medical terminology within the social work context. The authors use the example of dual diagnoses to argue for less stigmatised attitudes toward people who become, in the process of help, labelled as people with dual diagnoses. It argues that using medical terminology in the field of social work is often a strategy to exclude people from accessing help. It is concluded that social workers do not need knowledge about diagnoses - knowing the diagnosis is important only as information that illustrates users' specific experience and perception of reality, the available resources and obstacles that people face in their everyday life. The planning of a social work intervention should be based on an operational definition of everyday life, e.g. how people live through the day, what are the important and valued roles they play in life, what are their wishes and needs.