WORKING WITH FAMILYMEMBERS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSERS – Reflexive knowledge produktion in Groups CIF Conference , Kiljava Katarina Fagerström M. Soc. Sc. Doctoral student at the University of Helsinki, Research Social Worker at the Mathilda Wrede Institute

THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE RESEACH PROCESS PROFESSIONALS FROM: A-clinics (adult services) Youth Clinics (services for young substance abusers and children to substance abusers) Child protection School Social Work Resindental care for substance abusers

3 TRAINING GROUPS IN GROUP LEADERSHIP: 11 Training days 5 days in September days in January days in April 2009 Group supervison once a month, 8 times Ekenäs 9 participants Jakobstad 6 participants Helsinki 7 participants

Research methodology : Action research Critical reflection Co-opertive inquiry

THE ACTION RESEARCH PROCESS Teaching recognition of substance abuse and group leadership Developing practice Doing research with practitioners

Critical reflection ”Is a perspective on practice development, which defines the practitioner as action- researcher who is constantly testing and critiquing theories of action through situated practice.” (Gould 1996, 2)

Reflective practice ” We shall not ease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time T. S. Eliot

CO-OPERATIVE INQUIRY Research with people not on people. The way we understand compelx and everyday matters is based not just upon formal theoretical knowledge (propositional knowledge) but also experimental, presentational and practical ways of knowing. This extended epistemology opens up tacit knowledge, practice wisdom, intuition and ”common sense” for legitimate consideration.

How to recognize and approach substance abuse-related problems in Families?

Research questions: How do the participants perceive the families’ substance abuse problems, while talking about them in a group setting of professionals from different work contexts in social work? Does their way of perceiving the problems change during the training? If it does, in what way?