Social Worker as a Member of the Multidisciplinary Team in the Therapeutic Community

The present thesis is preliminary focused on the mapping and description of the scope of work of a social worker and the definition of his/her position within a multidisciplinary team of a therapeutic community. A description of the cooperation between a social worker and other members of multidisciplinary team within a therapeutic community shall be understood as a partial goal of the thesis. The bachelor thesis is divided into the theoretical part and the practical part. The theoretical part contains definitions of basic terminology hereof: a social worker, a therapeutic community and a multidisciplinary team. This way, the comprehensive theoretical frame of the issue in question has been elaborated, which establishes a starting point for the following practical part of the thesis. In accordance with the main objective of the bachelor thesis the practical part contains a definition related to the following three survey questions: 1) What is the core role of a social worker within a therapeutic community? 2) How the other members of a therapeutic community perceive the importance of social work? 3) What is the position of a social worker within multidisciplinary team of a therapeutic community? In order to perform the survey, the qualitative research strategy was applied, as well as interviewing method and a technique of sub-structured interviews. The sample group has been formed by five members of a multidisciplinary team of one selected therapeutic community. The sourced data had to be analysed using the method of cluster analysis. The survey has revealed the work of a social worker within a therapeutic community lies in particular in social agenda addressing. These are mainly the cases when a client is provided with help in the field of social contributions and benefits and also in the field of debts. A social worker shall also instruct and teach a client what are the right approaches to his/her own matters and shall help him/her to come back to ordinary life successfully. Based on the survey, it has appeared that the other team members perceive the social work as day-to-day and integral part of activities within a therapeutic community, which is then being reflected also in a therapeutic process. The social work performed at the beginning of a treatment is understood by all the workers as the most important activity. It was also confirmed that a social worker represent an integral part of multidisciplinary team of a therapeutic community. The other team members appreciate his/her contribution especially to the field of social work expert knowledge which they do not have. A social worker's role within a team is to work as a coordinator and lecturer who helps to bring an explanation related to the social work towards all the other members of a team. The contribution of the present bachelor thesis lies in the increase of up-to-now awareness related to the activities and roles of a social work within a therapeutic community. The present thesis may also contribute to extended awareness of expert and general public. The bachelor thesis may be also useful as a background document for the elaboration of a diploma thesis