Seleksjon i systemer – en studie av bosetting og behandling av bostedløse rusmisbrukere

Abstract

Homeless drugabusers are part of a system. These clients are characterized by low functioning on many levels. After making contact with socialservice, these clients are forwarded to either their own apartment, shelter, or treatment for drugabuse, based on the clients condition and functioning. Systems can be seen as linear or complex. Complex systems are characterized by many relations between the parts of the system, and for the lack of a 1:1 relationship between cause and effect. Homeless drugusers, or clients, are seen as part of a complex system. In this system there are many actors, and many relationships. Homeless drugusers are known for havingdifferent problems, and they are seen as hard to treat and to settle in own homes (Ytrehus & Drøpping, 2004). The method for helping these clients are a combination of settling in own homes, harm reduction, and treatment for drugabuse. These different approaches will all have potensial effect to change. The effects will be explored in the second part. The idea is that the client, will use the different services in the system of settling and treatment, based on what the service is meant to produce. The start in one service or intervention is the input. Production is here defined as change, or the output. The study in the second part will look at the clients movements between the services in the system, and what the different ones produce. The different parts of the system will have a structure, and a function. The services in this system will be seen as selected based on their function. The selection of the service is in principle happening the same way as natural selection. Norms and tradition are shaping the way these clients are forwarded to different services, and the study will show that a pragmatic view on these complex matters could be useful.