En folkhälsovetenskaplig preventionsapproach

– ett sätt att stärka kunskapsbasen om förebyggande socialt arbete och en förebyggande socialtjänst?

Abstract

Social work and public health have many similarities, not least in a shared value base where social justice and human rights are important guiding principles, and in a practice that aims to promote social change and people’s health, well-being and life chances. A preventive perspective has been present both in public health and in social work from the beginning. While prevention has become central within public health, preventive work has become subordinated in social work throughout history. With the new proposal for ”A Preventive Social Service Act”, we see a renewed focus on preventive social work. The question remains on what knowledge is required for social services to be able to work preventively. Given the similarities between social work and the more prevention-oriented public health, I discuss in this essay whether a public health science prevention approach can be used to strengthen the knowledge base on preventive social work and a preventive social service.