Children with Disability in Families at Risk in Russian Federation: Social Work Approaches

Anastasia KARPUNINA

Doctoral thesis

Abstract:

This study is aimed to determine the needs of a child with a disability in a family at risk and to understand how social work can help meet these needs. The mixed-methodology approach was employed. The quantitative aspect involved conducting surveys of professionals working with families of disabled children (101 participants) and social work students (179 participants). The qualitative method encompassed semi-structured interviews with social workers engaged with at-risk families raising children with disabilities (8 participants). Given the regional focus of social work in Russia, the case study was selected with example of Moscow. The study has defined the concept and specifics of a case "child with a disability in a family at risk" (DCFR) on legal, statistical, and theoretical levels. Considering the diversity and complexity of this social situation, it is viewed as an intersection of social entities, their actions and interactions, and environmental factors. The conducted research has allowed identifying the Russian specifics of the case and the organization of social work with it at the federal and regional levels. It has been established that despite improvements in recent years, the situation of children with disabilities in Russia is still characterized by high social exclusion, especially of children with mental disability. The situation of family risk exacerbates social exclusion of a disabled child. In this study, the organization of social work is examined through a combination of medical, social, and ecological models. Within these models, conditions have been identified that help improve the effectiveness of social work in protecting the rights of disabled children and promoting their social inclusion. The research has identified problems such as difficulties in contacting with families, bureaucratization and paper workload, challenges in interagency cooperation, lack of authority for social workers with a high level of responsibility, unpreparedness for cases involving double stigma, and ineffective supervision, as well as instances of falsification and cheating. Additionally, there is a general invisibility of social work to the state and society. All these issues serve as barriers to meeting the needs of children with disabilities and ensuring their inclusion. These findings indicate the need for development new strategies for social work with case of DCFR regarding interactions with parents, educational and medical institutions. A social worker should officially have authority to coordinate actions and participate in the assessment of disability. It is necessary to change the tactics of social work using early intervention, empowerment, maximizing resources, evidence-based approach, and involving NGOs. It is recommended to develop early prevention systems before a family with a disabled child get at-risk status or even before the child's birth. Significant insights refer to the training of social workers for dealing with double stigma, communication with people at risk, usage of professional terminology, and respectful attitudes towards families at risk and colleagues. Recommendations also include changing the supervision system for social workers handling the complex situations. The main limitations of the study are associated with a relatively small sample size, challenges in generalizing conclusions from the case study, stigmatization of families at risk in Russian society, and the government's limited attention to the problems of these families and to social work development, particularly in the context of an ongoing armed conflict.

Abstract:

This study is aimed to determine the needs of a child with a disability in a family at risk and to understand how social work can help meet these needs. The mixed-methodology approach was employed. The quantitative aspect involved conducting surveys of professionals working with families of disabled children (101 participants) and social work students (179 participants). The qualitative method encompassed semi-structured interviews with social workers engaged with at-risk families raising children with disabilities (8 participants). Given the regional focus of social work in Russia, the case study was selected with example of Moscow. The study has defined the concept and specifics of a case "child with a disability in a family at risk" (DCFR) on legal, statistical, and theoretical levels. Considering the diversity and complexity of this social situation, it is viewed as an intersection of social entities, their actions and interactions, and environmental factors. The conducted research has allowed identifying the Russian specifics of the case and the organization of social work with it at the federal and regional levels. It has been established that despite improvements in recent years, the situation of children with disabilities in Russia is still characterized by high social exclusion, especially of children with mental disability. The situation of family risk exacerbates social exclusion of a disabled child. In this study, the organization of social work is examined through a combination of medical, social, and ecological models. Within these models, conditions have been identified that help improve the effectiveness of social work in protecting the rights of disabled children and promoting their social inclusion. The research has identified problems such as difficulties in contacting with families, bureaucratization and paper workload, challenges in interagency cooperation, lack of authority for social workers with a high level of responsibility, unpreparedness for cases involving double stigma, and ineffective supervision, as well as instances of falsification and cheating. Additionally, there is a general invisibility of social work to the state and society. All these issues serve as barriers to meeting the needs of children with disabilities and ensuring their inclusion. These findings indicate the need for development new strategies for social work with case of DCFR regarding interactions with parents, educational and medical institutions. A social worker should officially have authority to coordinate actions and participate in the assessment of disability. It is necessary to change the tactics of social work using early intervention, empowerment, maximizing resources, evidence-based approach, and involving NGOs. It is recommended to develop early prevention systems before a family with a disabled child get at-risk status or even before the child's birth. Significant insights refer to the training of social workers for dealing with double stigma, communication with people at risk, usage of professional terminology, and respectful attitudes towards families at risk and colleagues. Recommendations also include changing the supervision system for social workers handling the complex situations. The main limitations of the study are associated with a relatively small sample size, challenges in generalizing conclusions from the case study, stigmatization of families at risk in Russian society, and the government's limited attention to the problems of these families and to social work development, particularly in the context of an ongoing armed conflict.

Keywords

children with disability, families at risk, social work, double stigmatization, intersectionality

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 29. 11. 2023

Accessible from:: 31. 12. 2999

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 15. 1. 2024
• Supervisor: prof. Mgr. Soňa Kalenda, Ph.D., prof. Mgr. Soňa Kalenda, Ph.D.

University of Ostrava

Faculty of Social Studies

Doctoral programme / field:
Social Policy and Social Work / Social Work