Abstract:

In the field of social services, we appreciate that the dynamic rhythm of development and changes brings new challenges for professionals. Thus, the need for adaptation and continuous training of specialists is a sine qua non condition. Our approach focuses on the need for adaptation to these outlines what is known as a dynamic resilience process.

Despite the absence of a single and universally valid definition of resilience, there is still agreement between specialists on one concept: resilience is the result of an interactive process in which the person, his family and the environment in which he lives take part. Resilience is a dynamic process involving the presence and interaction of personal and environmental factors that modify the impact of adversity. Resilience-building interventions are therefore important for improving trauma-related outcomes in social services beneficiaries exposed to adversity. By default, this also affects professionals.

In order to operationalize the resilience process, our study examines the training needs for tutors of resilience in social services environments. The Tutor of Resilience (ToR) is a professional category from social services who is trained to act as resilience-enablers for their beneficiaries. It is built on the premise that resilience is a social-ecological process that helps individuals navigate and negotiate for personal and collective resources through interpersonal relationships that increase access to psychosocial and physical support.

Starting from a brief literature review, this article presents the findings of qualitative research conducted in a Directorate of social services context, in West of Romania. Positive and negative factors that support and affect social services practices emerged from a survey that was conducted through the collaboration of among 47 social services professionals. Based on the main objective of the study, we used an interview guide composed of 11 open questions answered by a number of 47 professionals (social workers, psychologists, educators) from the social services system.

The results of the study show us that the approach centered on the needs of specialists remains a central and even sensitive point of the organizational management, which encourages participation in conferences, training courses or exchanges of experience and best practices.

We conclude that the tutors of resilience are an effective resilience-enablers that can create a contextually sensitive intervention for their beneficiaries experiencing various forms of adversity, thereby enhancing their psychosocial well-being.

Keywords:

Tutors of resilience, training needs, social services, resilience process.