ERIC Number: EJ1153186
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1357-5279
EISSN: N/A
Interprofessional Collaboration in Finnish Residential Child Care: Challenges in Incorporating and Sharing Expertise between the Child Protection and Health Care Systems
Timonen-Kallio, Eeva; Hämäläinen, Juha; Laukkanen, Eila
Child Care in Practice, v23 n4 p389-403 2017
Many children taken into care tend to be in need of psychiatric treatment as well as child protection services, and thus the professional expertise of both systems must be coordinated in their care. However, it is widely known across Europe that collaboration between child protection services and mental health services is not working well and the outcomes for looked-after children are poor. In spite of drastic need for knowledge, interprofessional collaboration between residential workers and mental health practitioners is poorly explored in international research. Most importantly, very little is known about shared expertise in multi-agency teams between these systems. Based on the analysis of interprofessional focus group interviews (eight interviews with 17 practitioners) in Finland, it is claimed that both sides have unrealistic expectations and perceptions of the other professional grouping and its facilities to help high-need children. The study also indicates that the collaboration assumes an equality of status and responsibilities between the professionals that does not always exist amongst residential child care practitioners and mental health professionals. The analysis suggests that the concept of residential child care work itself needs more empirical research to strengthen the interprofessional competencies and enhance child-centred integrated care.
Descriptors: Interprofessional Relationship, Residential Care, Child Care, Child Safety, Mental Health Programs, Focus Groups, Interviews, Child Welfare, Foster Care, Agency Cooperation, Knowledge Management, Shared Resources and Services, Caseworker Approach, Partnerships in Education, Group Dynamics, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A