Work

The critical work of social workers in person-centered care: insights from a cross-sector collaboration in Denmark for refugees with PTSD

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Siloed mental health and social services fail to meet complex care needs. Cross-sector collaborations are thus spreading, including those involving patients. However, pathways to success are scarcely studied. Guided by Interpretive Description methodology, we qualitatively explore the work of mental health social workers in facilitating collaboration between mental health services, employment services, and refugee patients with post-traumatic stress disorder in Denmark. We identify and elaborate on two types of work carried out by social workers that appear critical for the collaboration: relational work and negotiation work. This work ensures action plans resonate with the refugees’ needs and enable person-centered care.

Source: Social Work in Mental Health

DOI: 10.1080/15332985.2025.2516739

Authors: Henriette Laugesen Attardo, Maja Bruhn, Åsa Audulv, Jessica Carlsson, Morten Skovdal

Institutions: University of Copenhagen, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen University Hospital, Umeå University

Language: English

Topic: Migration, Health and Trauma

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Region Hovedstaden