Social workers’ perspectives on a medical home model for children and adolescents in out of home care : An interview study

Abstract: Background: In Sweden, health outcomes for children placed in care have been disappointing. ‘Placed in care’ refers to social out of home care (OHC). Hälsofam is a medical home model for healthcare of children in OHC currently delivered in Uppsala. Aim: To explore how social workers perceive and experience the Hälsofam model. Methodology: A qualitative explorative study with ten semi-structured individual telephone interviews. The criteria for inclusion in the study sample were employees within the social service, working in a specialised case unit and having experience of referring children and/or adolescents to Hälsofam. Results: Working with Hälsofam has offered social workers a way into the health care sector, which is something that previously has been limited. The Hälsofam model has offered the social workers an active collaborative working situation, where focus has been given to organised work across the ‘silos’ of care services for these children. However, the findings raised the question of whether or not all children and adolescents have the same possibility to receive care from Hälsofam. Conclusion: The Hälsofam model appears to have had a positive impact on the interrelations between the social service and the health care sector. Social workers perceive it to facilitate necessary support for children and adolescents in OHC. Yet, findings show that personal views of the social worker and the societal situation in which they operate create limitations for providing care for every child and adolescent.