In my bachelor's thesis, I explored the role of social workers in multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) dealing with domestic violence cases. I was interested in how social workers perceive their role within the team, how they collaborate with other institutions, and what challenges and opportunities they identify in this process. I focused particularly on how social workers evaluate the functioning of teamwork, which factors they believe support or hinder collaboration, and the role of users – victims of violence – within the team.
As part of the research, I conducted interviews with social workers involved in MDTs working in the field of domestic violence. I examined how MDTs are implemented in practice, which institutions are most frequently involved, how users are included in the process, and how social workers perceive cooperation with professionals from other disciplines. I paid special attention to the acquisition and development of social workers’ competencies, since working on MDTs requires a range of organizational, communication, and leadership skills, and I explored how social workers deal with systemic shortcomings.
In the theoretical part, I presented the characteristics of domestic violence and the role of social work and interdisciplinary cooperation in this field. I conducted eight interviews with social workers who work in the field of domestic violence, and through qualitative analysis I found that social workers hold a leading and coordinating role in MDTs. Their tasks include organizing, leading, and coordinating the team, as well as planning assistance for victims of violence.
Although MDTs often involve various professionals (e.g., representatives of the police, schools, and NGOs), the healthcare sector was found to be underrepresented. The research showed that the success of MDTs is strongly linked to mutual trust among team members, clearly defined roles, and effective communication. Social workers emphasized the need for more training, institutional support, and the development of guidelines to facilitate the co-creative process of supporting victims of violence. For them, MDTs are an important space for professional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and also personal learning and growth.
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