Family Social Work

Definition of family social work; complexity of family social work: work at two levels, time and space dimension, social and cultural context.

Definitions of the family (from traditional conceptions to self-definition).

Family social work and individual social work: delimitation and connection.

History of family social work.

Family social work and family therapies: delimitation and connection.

Concepts of help in family social work: the concept of the working relationship (G. Čačinovič Vogrinčič), the concept of participators in solution (P. Lüssi), social work from the strength perspective (D. Saleeby), solution building focused social work (constructive social work (N. Parton, P. O`Byrne); brief, solution focused family therapy (S. de Shazer, I. Kim Berg)). The concept of family support

Sociological knowledge about families: postmodern characteristics of family life.

Psychological knowledge about families: the family as a small and working group; the needs of the individual and the family; attachment theory (knowledge and critical reflection); roles in families; boundaries in the family; power and hierarchy; communication in the family; dealing with conflict.

Conversation with families. Conversation with a child.

Families in the community; development of social network.

Fields of family social work: work with the family in processes of change after divorce or separation (the role of social work; the use of family mediation); foster care and adoptions, family and old people, family social work with family with chronical ill child social work with children, adolescents and their parents in deviant behaviour of young people, , social work with multi-challenged families.