Support and recovery in a therapeutic community

This research project began from an interest in 'what happened' at a residential psychiatric disability support service (therapeutic community) where I had previously worked as a social worker, or, as it was termed in the program, support worker. Residents used the program in various ways, to get back on track with their lives, and workers aimed to support them in that process. My approach to data collection was, as for many social work researchers, qualitative. As my work on the project developed over time, I was consistently informed and re-informed not only by ideas arising from my engagement with participants and relevant literature, but also by new concepts and areas of interest that opened up as a result of my teaching in a progressive Bachelor of Social Work course. Gradually, as my understanding of critical and reflective postmodern social work theory evolved, new int erpretations crept into my writing. Some of the tensions that arose as a result of this overlaying of new conceptual frameworks are evident in the thesis. While I have tried to create internal cohesion, the layers of different approaches that informed me are sometimes evident, like the sides of a canyon that display evidence of its historical and ongoing formation. This may not be dissimilar to social work itself in the new millennium, as new ideas variously challenge, consolidate, destabilise and/or reshape theory and practice. While this thesis began as an exploration of the experiences of individuals in a therapeutic community and the role of support workers in that process, it became, additionally, an exploration of ways in which the role and practice of social work is constructed. However, the stories of participants remain a central feature. Chapters include: the professional gaze and the construction of subjects; problematising worker power and professionalism; boundaries, vulnerability and aut hority; therapeutic community; sensemaking, meaning ascription and the creation of culture; change and turning points; and problematising and exploring outcomes in mental health.<br>