Social workers’ preparedness, experiences and challenges when rendering social welfare services to adolescents abusing chemical substances

Abstract

Chemical substance abuse remains a major global health and social problem in a South African context. Social workers are one of the professionals who provide social welfare services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. However, social workers are not prepared enough in terms of training and workshops to provide drug dependency treatment to adolescents abusing chemical substances. This study therefore contributes to an emerging body of literature on chemical substance abuse, as there is a lack of information within the Department of Social Development in Lepelle Nkumpi Municipality of Limpopo concerning social workers’ preparedness, experiences and challenges in rendering services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. Furthermore, the study will generate new information that will assist the Department of Social Development to make necessary changes to social welfare services rendered to adolescents abusing chemical substances, and consideration will be given when drafting a framework for treating chemical substance abuse. A qualitative approach was adopted to explore, describe and contextualise social workers’ preparedness, experiences and challenges experienced during their work. Participants were selected using a non-probability technique of purposive sampling. As a data collection method, in-depth, one on one semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven social workers working with adolescents abusing chemical substances. Data was analysed using Tesch’s eight steps and verified using Guba and Lincoln’s model to test the trustworthiness of the data. Ethical considerations adhered to throughout this study were informed consent, right to privacy, avoidance of deception, debriefing of participants and management of information. Findings of the study confirmed that there are no clear guidelines in rendering social welfare services to adolescents abusing chemical substances by social workers. The study further revealed that social workers’ training is generic in nature, therefore they are not well trained to render services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. They therefore lack resources and support to adequately execute social welfare services to adolescents abusing chemical substances. Lack of services for adolescents was also identified as a burning issue. Furthermore, treatment and prevention of chemical substance abuse is overlooked. Based on the research findings, recommendations pertaining to social work practice, social work training and education, social welfare policy, and further research were put forward.

Tshomisho ya diokobatsi e dula e le taba e kgolo ya hloba boroko ka ga lefapa la maphelo le tsa setshaba le lefase ka bophara ga mmogo le Africa Borwa. Badirela-leago ke ba bangwe ba ditsibe bao ba fanago ka ditirelo go baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Badirela-leago ga se ba lokishetswe go lekanenego ge go etla go ditaba tsa dithuto le tsebo go baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Thuto ye e tlaleletsa go hlahlo ya tshedimusho yeo elego gona ka diokobatsi, ka ge go hloka tsebo e feleletsego go lekolla gore badirela-leago ba e tukisheditse go tsona,le tseo ba hlakanego le tsona le mathata ao ba gahlanago le ona ge ba shomishana le baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi, ka lefapa la kgoro ya badirela-leago ya Masepala wa Lepelle-Nkumpi Limpopo. Go isha pele, thuto ye e tlo utulla tshedimusho e mpsha yeo e tlo thushango ba lefapa la kgoro ya badirelaleago go dira di phetogo tse bohlokwa tsa go amana le ditirelo tsa baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Tsebo e tletsego e shomishetswe go hlahloba, go hlalosa le go latela maemo a badirela leago ka maikemishetso, tsebo yeo banago le yona le mathata ao ba hlakanago le ona ge ba efa ditirelo go baswa bao ba shomishago diokobatsi. Ba tsea karolo mo thutong ye ba kgethilwe ka go shomisha mokgwa wo osa tsebiwego gore go tlo kgethwa bomang, gola gona le morero wa gore go tlo kgethiwa bjang. Tsenelelo ya poledishano gare ga ba tsea karolo ka o tee ka o tee le Monyakishishi, e swerwe bjalo ka mokgwa wa go kgobokantsha tshedimusho le ba direla-leago ba shupa, bao ba filwego ditirelo go baswa ba go shomisha diokobatsi. Go sekwasekwa ga ditshedimusho gotswa go ba tsea karolo go shomishitswe go tswa go Tesch’s dikgato tse seswai (Creswell, 2009:186) tsaba tsa netefatswa gotswa go tshomisho ya Guba and Lincoln’s model (1991:215-222). Melao ya Boitswaro e naganetswe ka mo thutong ye ka go latelela tumelelo ya tsebo, ditokelo tsa sephiri, go efoga go foraforetswa ka maaka, le go fana ka dikeletso le tsamaisho ya ditshedimusho gotswa go ba tsea karolo.