In my diploma thesis, I write about the role of social work in the field of rehabilitation of athletes after injury. In the theoretical part, I focus on the development and role of social work in sports, which I support by describing the necessary competencies and values of social workers working in this field. I continue with the description of the rehabilitation of athletes after an injury, where I focus on the principles and process of rehabilitation of athletes after an injury and present how athletes react emotionally during this period and define the importance of social support. In the last part of the theoretical introduction, I present the role of social work in rehabilitation, where I focus on interprofessional cooperation. Empirical part presents the characteristics of the conducted qualitative research and the results obtained with the help of a semi-structured interview conducted with six social workers. Results showed that social work in the field of rehabilitation of athletes in Slovenia is not well known among social workers, athletes, sports organizations, disciplines and teams. Most interviewees believe that this is due to the lack of institutional frameworks and programs that would include social workers in sports teams and organizations. Participants in the research expressed their opinion about the potentially important role of social work in the field of rehabilitation of athletes after injury, especially in terms of psychosocial and emotional support for athletes during the recovery period, which would enable them to have a faster and better quality rehabilitation. Major contribution of social work is also the possibility of interprofessional cooperation and integration into multidisciplinary teams, as well as cooperation with the athlete’s family, which is one of the main sources of support for the injured athlete. Participants in the research believe that with greater awareness, education and promotion of the role of social work in the field of rehabilitation of athletes after injury, the role of social workers in this field would be more recognized and appreciated.
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