Professionals' Perspectives on Organizational Factors That Support or Hinder the Successful Implementation of Family-Centered Practice

Abstract

This article presents findings from an exploratory, qualitative study whose objective was to identify professionals' perceptions of organizational factors that support or hinder the implementation of family-centered practice (FCP). Two disability services organizations in Manitoba, Canada, were selected as the research sites. In 2002, all staff were invited to participate in qualitative interviews and focus groups, resulting in 36 people responding (front-line service coordinators, supervisors, and key informants). The analysis identified factors related to the organization's culture and climate (such as caseload size and activity, supervision, and training), policy limitations, and collateral services, as negatively affecting the ability to successfully implement FCP. The findings suggest that organizations should develop and maintain organizational cultures and climates necessary to support, implement and sustain FCP to positively impact service quality and outcomes.

KEYWORDS:

• family-centered practice
• professionals' perspectives
• service delivery implementation
• social work

The authors wish to thank and acknowledge the professionals who participated in this research.

This research was supported by a grant from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC #828-1999-1037).