In my Graduation Thesis, I focused on the solution-focused approach in social work, its development, basic theoretical points, methods and techniques; I presented research of its success or effectiveness and especially application in practice among social workers in Slovenia. I was interested in how many already employed social workers use a solution-focused approach and how it contributes to their more competent work.
A solution-focused approach in social work has been developing at the Faculty of Social Work for more than two decades, and its beginnings originated at the Brief Family Therapy Centre in America, dating back to the 1980s. The approach is based on various theoretical premises, which suggest that when we work, we are no longer focused on problems, but on finding common solutions in a collaborative relationship with our users. The approach offers concrete techniques and methods, and, it is also important to be aware of the transfer of theory into practice so that we can use the acquired knowledge professionally. The use of approaches, however, depends on the institutional context that influences the practice of social work.
The research in the thesis is quantitative. Through the written questioning method, I conducted an online survey, with which I determined the use of the solution-focused approach among employed social workers in Slovenia.
I discovered that more than three quarters of participating social workers know and use the solution-focused approach. They see that this approach contributes greatly to their more competent work. The most commonly used skills of the approach by the respondents are to originate from the user himself, explore the user's life and check the desired goals with the user. At the same time, they also use a lot of other social work knowledge in their work and regularly attend additional training and self-educate.
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