A practical partnership

Clients sometimes reproach social workers and counsellors who try to help them without ever having personally experienced a similar situation. Previous attempts to overcome this concern through collaboration between counsellors and peers were perceived as flawed because of the unworkable power differential between professionals and non-professionals. This article describes how one agency, the Vietnam Veterans' Counselling Service, responded to such client concern by establishing an after-hours telephone counselling service using a partnership between specialised counsellors and peer supports. The difficult process of negotiation between professionals and peers, in this practical partnership, went some of the way to addressing the power differences found in such collaborative efforts. Importantly, the knowledge gained from a critical analysis of this partnership may be translated to other client groups. As well as presenting this analysis the article summarises the key elements of establishing a successful partnership

Agency (philosophy · Business · General partnership · Medical education · Negotiation · Political science · Power (physics · Public relations · Service (business · Sociology · Medicine · Mental Health and Patient Involvement · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Nursing · Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work

• Making participatory processes visible

  Karen Healy, Karyn Walsh•Australian Social Work•1997

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• Western psychotherapeutic practice

  Open Access•David Vicary, Brenda Bishop et al.•Australian Psychologist•2004

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• The Voluntary Side of a Welfare ‘Partnership’

  Christopher Brown, Eddie Dowd•Australian Social Work•1984

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• Professional Use of Lay Resources

  Pamela A Miller•Social Work•1985

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• Social Networks

  Eilene L G McIntyre•Social Work•1986

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• Social Supports and Social Workers

  Carol H Meyer•Social Work•1985

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• The Parameters of Network Intervention

  Gail K Auslander, Howard Litwin•Social Service Review•1987

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• Linking Informal and Formal Help

  Charles Hoch, George C Hemmens•Social Service Review•1987

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• Social Support, Social Networks, Social Exchange, and Social Work Practice

  Harry Specht•Social Service Review•1986

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• Where Do We Go from Here? The Policy Implications of Social Support

  Open Access•Arlene Brownell, Sally A Shumaker•Journal of Social Issues•1985

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