Developing a Conceptual Framework to Classify Supportive Services Provided by Social Service Departments: An Exploratory Study

As part of the preparations of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services (MSASS) to introduce reform in social services, several issues arose regarding the work patterns of local social service departments (SSDs) and their provision of service.

SSD social workers refer clients to a great variety of ministry-funded services, which are known as “supportive services”. These, according to the ministry, constitute a central part of SSD service provision yet there is no uniform, systematic conceptual framework today to define and classify them. Nor, following referral, is it clear what the involvement of SSD social workers should be. The ministry consequently sought to conduct an exploratory study to examine these issues.

In the study, in-depth interviews and focus groups with ministry professionals were conducted to identify existing perceptions of supportive services. In addition, the services of nine ministry units were mapped, each dealing with a different population. The data were collected from national supervisors and service directors of the Division of Personal and Social Services, Division of Rehabilitation, Division of Services for Mentally Retarded Persons, and the Division of Correctional Services. Data were also collected from SSD directors and social workers in a number of local authorities.

The first part of the report suggests a conceptual framework whereby supportive services denote all services provided in the community upon the referral of an SSD social worker as part of a client’s treatment plan. Two main measures were identified that may serve as a basis for classifying these services: the existence of a professional-therapeutic component at the service (a social work professional), and the time frame of service provision to a client (a one-time service; short-term – up to a year; long-term – more than a year). The mapping of services revealed that there are 123 supportive services and that there are differences between ministry units in the type of supportive services.

The second part presents the conceptions of professionals in the field regarding the follow-up of SSD social workers after a client’s receipt of supportive services. Two measures were identified that may serve as a basis for classifying desirable follow-up: the party with whom a social worker is in contact – the client her/himself and/or the staff of a service), and the frequency of follow-up (“close,”‘ “loose” or” distant”). Professionals felt that there is a connection between the type of supportive service to which a client is referred and the desirable form of follow-up.

The two typologies presented here – one for the classification of supportive services and the other for the classification of desirable follow-up by SSD social workers – can serve as an important component of determining procedures of care management for SSD clients. To implement the typologies, several steps are required: receipt of broader feedback from additional parties at the ministry to fine-tune the conceptual framework and a pilot study at the SSDs encompassing several populations.

The study was conducted in cooperation and with the funding of the MSASS Division of Personal and Social Services and the Division of Research, Planning and Training.