This paper provides a discussion about the relevance of medical terminology within the social work context. The authors use the example of dual diagnoses to argue for less stigmatised attitudes ...toward people who become, in the process of help, labelled as people with dual diagnoses. It sets out that using medical terminology in the field of social work is more often a strategy to exclude people from the system of help than as a moment of providing adequate help. It is concluded that social workers do not need the knowledge about diagnoses - knowing the diagnosis is important only as information that illustrates users' specific experience and perception of reality, the available resources and obstacles that people face in their everyday life. The planning of a social work intervention should be based on an operational definition of everyday life, e.g. how people live through the day, what are the important and valued roles they play in life, what are their wishes and needs.
The article is based on the analysis of the performance of Slovenian policy in the field of Drug and Alcohol Demand Reduction. Analysis of the key contents was developed on the bases of the analysis ...of interviews made by representatives of different departments in the field of Drug and Alcohol Demand Reduction. Key contents -- the visibility of drugs and alcohol problems in the society, department contribution to problem solving, cooperation with others actors and future planned activities -- has showed that departments in the field of Drug Demand Reduction, in the process of forming and performing politics, take into account the Resolution on national programme in drug field. Deficiencies appear on the level of data collection and exchange, on the level of sharing similar tasks among different actors, and on the level of co-ordination and inter-department co-operation. Adapted from the source document.
For several years, harm reduction programmes have been expressing the need to establish a safe-injection room, i.e. a place where a drug user has a possibility to inject illicit drugs, with reduced ...risk and better hygiene. The question of the importance of safe rooms is placed in a broader context; not only in terms of preventing health damage but also in terms of reducing harmful social consequences of drug use on individual and local community. Our experience in the research shows that the place of use has a very significant influence on the performance of the different social roles played by drug users. The analysis of relevant literature, research, ethnographic material and experiences of experts in the field of harm reduction shows that the time is ripe to shift focus from responses which are directed to individual drug user (in order to change individual behaviour) to responses which will be directed to the community harm reduction. Safer injecting room could have a significant affect on a drug user's quality of life. However, on the other hand, it could contribute to further stigmatization and exclusion, especially if such a program takes place under the public eye and without the support of local community. Adapted from the source document.
Knowledge of drug related problems is important for successful social work. The data about were collected through the study of BA graduation theses of students at the Faculty of social work, ...Ljubljana. Paper focuses on basic concepts and the development of Slovenian policy against drugs. Analysis shows that themes from Resolution of national program on drug area 2004-2009 are insufficient framework for classification of the theses. The differences in approaches, sensitivity to the situation, methodology of gathering and analyzing data in BA theses are also important. Views of the students are described trough classification of the themes dealt with. The majority of these deals with drug related problem situations concerning the drug user or their close relatives. Only a few thesis study nongovernmental organizations. Some other organizations that deal with drug users are also presented in the theses. There are also some studies about the frequency of drug use among young people and rapid assessment of situation in some regions of Slovenia. It is shown that the programme at Faculty of social work produces experts well equipped for social work with drug users, nevertheless some suggestions for improvement of program for this area are proposed. Adapted from the source document.
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