A Case study: Social Work and families in the field of public health

1. British Academy UK-Latin America Link Program (Second Seminar). Birmingham, June 2013Family and Social Policy: Towards Family-Minded Policy and Whole Family Practice

2. A Case study: Social Work and families in the field of public health Córdoba. Argentina. Health Area Social Services. Mgter. Nelly B. Nucci

3. Study based on: 1. The preliminary stage of research (2012-2013): Social work with families in the field of public health. Positions, relationships and strategies. 2. Survey and workshops with health social workers.

4. This is a profession founded on theoretical and methodological assumptions related to the resolution of obstacles in the process of social reproduction.

5. These obstacles are considered as complex problems or needs. This is the object of professional intervention. The purpose of Social Work is to solve problems through theoretical and methodological strategies.

6. In terms of professional intervention SW works in: • The production of knowledge and professional training. • The provision of services for the transformation of everyday life situations (Aquín, N. 2006)

7. In that case Social Workers links needy people with institutional spaces and areas of intervention. These practices include both the distribution of resources and also the work with social representations and values.

8. SW in the field of public health The Public sub-system of Health in Argentina was a relevant area for the professionalization of social work in the mid-twentieth century.

9. As in other areas, the relationship between social workers and families are mediated by the State and penetrated by traditional – often implicit- conceptions about family organization and family life

10. Political-administrative policies define: The laws about married, families responsibilities into child social care, people with disabilities, old people, sick people. Social policies by all the government sectors as health, education, work, social care.

11. Argentina Public Health is a mixed system: • Corporative system to formal workers • Private care for the middle and • upper social sectors • Public health to poor population

12. Private space versus public space. • Self-sufficient. If not, they must be subject to social assistance. • Poor families, to be re-educated. • Families based in social inequalities by gender and social position. • Families suspected / guilty for the "social evils".

13. At the end of XX: Public health system was privatized and descentralized. Poverty grows and many people needs to go to public system.

14. SW works in the health area in relationship by doctors, psychologists, nutritionists, nurses an others. • SW works with programs from national and local government and with own projects.

15. The traditional and hegemonic medical model has been a strong impact on the views of social workers in the health area. • During the lasts years social workers was introducing new concepts, mainly based on the rights perspectives.

16. Does SW works with individuals or with families? • Does SW works with individual or collective subjects? How they characterize those problems?

17. Social Workers works mainly with households members. Generally the problems addressed in the intervention are related to family life. They include their relationships with institutions of welfare provision and the everyday life organization.