ISSN: 2578-5095
Authors: Malgorzata PZ*
Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the forms of help and support offered to families with alcohol problems by social workers employed in social welfare institutions and self-help groups, as well as find out what types of support are most often used by the surveyed families. Method: The text presents forms of help and support for families with alcohol problems. The survey was conducted with the use of proprietary research tools among 58 social workers and 105 people/ families with alcohol problems. Results: Research has shown that social workers offer families with alcohol problems various forms of help and support, as specified in the Social Welfare Act, the two most often declared being specialist counseling and financial assistance and support, while self-help groups offer families with alcohol problems joint conversations and exchange of life experiences of people attending self-help groups, a conversation with a therapist and, above all, the implementation of the 12 Step Program. Conclusions: Families with an alcohol problem use various forms of help and support offered by social welfare institutions, as well as psychotherapeutic counseling centers and self-help groups, the most often used form of help and support belongs to the so-called ‘unprofessional form of help’, proposed by self-help groups, whose impact - in the opinion of respondents - provides the best results. At the end of the text there are conclusions and proposals for changes for the practice of social work.
Keywords: Help; Support; Family With An Alcohol Problem; Social Work
