Marketa Ctvrteckova, Marketa Geregova
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This article brings answers to the research question: “What are the barriers in involving people using illegal drugs to develop public politics and measures that concern them?” THEORETICAL BASIS: The text is based on concepts of critical social work. It deals with concepts of participation and involvement, with power distribution among policy makers, helping professionals and drug users. The article also examines barriers that prevent power redistribution and the acceptance of the status of drug users serving as experts in this field. METHODS: The investigation method is based in qualitative research and analyses of semi-structured dialogues with experts with experience, experts at the services level, and experts at the policy level. OUTCOMES: The results point to the unwillingness of public policy and measure makers and experts at the service level to share power, to share the expertise of a full-fledged source of knowledge andexpe rience. Individual barriers from the side of the participants of all the involved processes are also summarized in the outcomes. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Based on the research outcomes, the authors present specific measures that may help to overcome these barriers.
Keywords
critical social work, participation, barriers, drug users, experts by experience, sharing power
Issue:
p. 15 – 30