Arenas for contact

A study of local collaboration in mental health

Authors

  • David Matscheck Research and Development Department (FoU Nordost), Region Stockholm
  • Runo Axelsson Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v16i2.16228

Keywords:

Collaboration, Mental health, Psychiatry, Social psychiatry, Interorganizational collaboration

Abstract

Collaboration in the field of mental health involves institutions with differing organizational structures and belonging to different administrative and political authorities. The institutions concerned include professionals with such varying roles as physicians, nurses, psychologists, social welfare secretaries, occupational therapists, home support personnel and others. The purpose of this article is to describe and analyse how different psychiatric and social services in a Swedish municipality can collaborate, in spite of obvious differences in organizational forms, legislative and administrative mandates, professional backgrounds and perspectives. A study of formal agreements and procedures for collaboration and other forms of documentation, in combination with an interview study of persons with different occupational roles in each respective organization, shows the importance of a comprehensive strategy based on a holistic view of the diverse needs of individual patients and clients. Such a strategy requires an overall structure including not only written agreements and procedures, but also arenas for meetings at all levels of the organizations involved, in which the role of leadership is to solidify the structure for collaboration and support individual professionals working in collaboration to provide care and service for individual patients or clients.

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Author Biographies

David Matscheck, Research and Development Department (FoU Nordost), Region Stockholm

David Matscheck received his degree as Master of Arts at the Department of Social Work at Stockholm University in January, 2012. He is employed as a researcher at the social service’s Research and Development Department (FoU Nordost) in the northeast section of the region of Stockholm and as specialist/investigator at a social service administration. He has done studies on programs for adolescents, collaboration concerning children with special needs and other questions.

Runo Axelsson, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University

Runo Axelsson earned his PhD in business administration at Umeå University, Sweden, in 1976. In 1980 he was appointed Associate Professor (docent) of business administration at Umeå University and 1984 Professor of public management at Uppsala University. In 1995 he was appointed Dean of Umeå Business School, in 1997 Director for the Centre for Health Services Development in Stockholm, and in 2003 Professor of health management at the Nordic School of Public Health in Gothenburg. Since 2012 he is Professor of health management at Aalborg University in Denmark.

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Published

2012-06-15

How to Cite

Matscheck, D., & Axelsson, R. (2012). Arenas for contact: A study of local collaboration in mental health. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 16(2), 93–113. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v16i2.16228

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