1. Full name of doctoral candidate: Le Thi Nhung 2. Gender: Female
3. Date of birth: September 20, 1986 4. Place of birth: Hung Yen
5. Decision on admitting postgraduate students No.: 4618/2016/QD-XHNV, dated December 29, 2016by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU Hanoi
6. Changes in the training process:
- Decision No. 388/QD-XHNV dated February 28, 2017, on the recognition of doctoral dissertation topics and supervisors;
- Decision No. 3265/QD-XHNV dated November 12, 2018, on the addition of a doctoral thesis supervisor;
- Decision No. 1016/QD-XHNV dated April 19, 2019, on adjusting the doctoral dissertation topic of the research student;
7. Thesis Title: Case Management for People with Disabilities in the Community of Ho Chi Minh City
8. Major: Social Work 9. Code: Pilot Training Program
10. Scientific supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Thi Xuan Mai, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thai Lan
11. Summarynew resultsof the thesis:
The first,Besides establishing a relatively complete and scientifically valuable theoretical framework, the dissertation also develops several new conceptual tools for case management with people with disabilities in the community from a social work perspective in the Vietnamese context.
Monday,This is a large-scale, practical study, conducted within the political, cultural, and economic context of Ho Chi Minh City. Therefore,This thesis provides a general overview of the extent and frequency of the roles performed by community health workers with people with disabilities in Ho Chi Minh City, based on feedback from various perspectives.The results showCommunity health care staff have, to some extent, fulfilled their role in mobilizing resources, especially from informal support networks or expert networks, and facilitating access to certain support policies for people with disabilities. However, some core roles in community health care, such as connector, referral, coordinator, and facilitator of social and community life, remain unclear. Educational or counseling roles, which are also common roles of community health care staff, are rarely performed. The thesis also identifies gaps and limitations in the development of community health care.Policy formulation and implementation, along with the coordinating role, are unique characteristics of the social work profession.
Tuesday,The research results show that disability management staff perform certain tasks and activities to varying degrees in the disability management process for people with disabilities, such as preparing benefit payment records, collecting information on disability, health, education, livelihood, employment, and supporting people with disabilities with some social policies. However, professional tasks and activities of disability management are rarely performed, such as building occupational therapy relationships with clients, collecting information and assessing needs, especially needs in terms of social, relational, psychological, emotional, and life skills. Planning and implementation are also given very little attention, almost non-existent. Monitoring and supervision are very limited, only stopping at reviewing the list of eligible beneficiaries and payment schemes. Quantitative results also show that the steps and tasks in the process have a close interrelationship. When tasks are not performed well at one stage, it will affect the remaining steps in the HR management process. There are differences among staff in different types of units and support facilities in performing their HR management roles and tasks.
Wednesday,The study also found that the performance of roles, tasks, and processes in community health management by staff still has many weaknesses and a lack of expertise, which is related to difficulties and challenges such as inadequate and weak policy mechanisms, lack of understanding and participation from people with disabilities, their families, and the community, and limitations from the service providers and support units. One of the most prominent difficulties and challenges is that community health management staff do not have clearly defined job positions, are often semi-specialized or have multiple responsibilities, and themselves lack professional capacity in community health management for people with disabilities in the community.
Thursday,The study explored a model comprising five groups of factors with strong and very strong influence on community-based care management for people with disabilities, including: Awareness, family and community involvement; Strengths and abilities of people with disabilities; Relevant legal policies; Institutional infrastructure and support (leadership and facility capacity); and Professional competence of care management staff. Among these, the professional competence of care management staff was the most influential group of factors.
Friday,The results of the experimental intervention program have demonstrated that enhancing the professional capacity of healthcare management staff through training combining theory and practice, and especially individual guidance and supervision after training, is one of the measures to positively improve staff performance in the process of managing healthcare for people with disabilities in the community.
12. Practical applications:
In terms of practical application:This thesis provides a comprehensive overview for community health workers, drawing on their own assessments combined with feedback from people with disabilities, their families, and stakeholders. The thesis specifically describes the current state of roles, processes, and tasks undertaken by community health workers with people with disabilities in the community. Furthermore, the thesis provides information on some effective and flexible practices employed by several workers and organizations in Ho Chi Minh City.
In terms of training:The theoretical framework and practical research results help training institutions orient their specialized training in the field of community-based health care management for people with disabilities, while also identifying actual needs and professional gaps among practitioners. The results regarding changes in the operational practices of health care management staff after the experimental intervention program demonstrate that intensive training and post-training guidance will enhance their capacity. Therefore, the thesis suggests more appropriate intensive training and supervision programs to develop a team of health care management staff who are currently working with or intend to work with people with disabilities in the community.
In terms of policy:Based on a synthesis of research, international experience, and the results of studies on the current state of implementation of disability management for people with disabilities in Ho Chi Minh City, including shortcomings, barriers, and difficulties in practice, as well as models of factors strongly influencing disability management for people with disabilities in the community, this dissertation provides policymakers and management at all levels with additional scientific basis to develop and adjust appropriate policies in promoting professional services and human resources.
13. Future research directions:
- A comparative study of practical applications among different types of support units in community-based management for people with disabilities.
- Researching model approaches for managing disability support in assisting people with disabilities nationwide.
- Developing a set of standards for managing relationships with people with disabilities from a social work perspective in the Vietnamese context.
14. Published works related to the dissertation:
1.Le Thi Nhung, Bui Thi Xuan Mai (2017) “Accessibility to policies and resource mobilization of organizations for people with disabilities in Vietnam”, Proceedings of the International Scientific ConferenceCommunity-based inclusive social development: Opportunities and challenges, National University of Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House, pp. 24-35 (ISB)N: 978-604-735-5990).
2.Le Thi Nhung (2020), “Roles of Internationalnon-governmental organizations in developing social workadmissions forchildren and personswith sodiumin VietnamInternational Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly and Disabled People, VolOctober 11, 2020,pp.34-40ISSN 0128-309X.
3. Le Thi Nhung(2020), “Challenging livelihoods of persons with disabilities and missing gaps in policies”,Educere-BCM Journal of Social Work (EBJSW),Vol16 (1)June 2020, pp. 5-16ISSN 2249-1090.
4. Le Thi Nhung (2020), “An intervention program of enhancement on knowledge and skills of social work case managers with persons with disabilities”,International Journal for Quality Research(SCOPUS index, Q2,ISSN 1800-6450.Cfather atInternational Conference on Emerging Issues in Social Sciences and Humanities(ICEISH 2020,eISBN 978-967-2426-14-1.
INFORMATION OF DOCTORAL THESIS
1. Full name: Le Thi Nhung 2. Sex: Female
3. Date of birth: September 20, 1986 4. Place of birth: Hung Yen province
5. Admission decision number: 4618/2016/QD-XHNV Dated 29thDecember 2016
6. Changes in academic process:
- Decision number: 388/QD-XHNV about recognizing the title of thesisand supervisors dated on 28thFebruary 2017.
- Decision number: 3265/QD-XHNV about adding the supervisor dated on 12thNovember 2018.
- Decision number: 1016/QD-XHNV about admending the title of thesisdated on 19thApril 2019.
7. Official thesis title:Social Work Case Management with Persons with Disabilities at the Community in Ho Chi Minh City
8. Major:Social Work9. Code: Pilot training
10. Supervisors:Assoc. Prof. Bui Thi Xuan Mai, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Thai Lan
11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:
Firstly,the overview of relevant studies in the world and particularly in Vietnam provided a systematic and scientific theoretical framework onpersons with disabilityPWDs), case management in general and case management with PWDs with distinguished characteristics, roles and tasks of social workers. Especially, several new concepts on social work case management with PWDs at the community were built in the context of Vietnam.
Secondly,the research with a large scale in local, socio-political and economic context of Ho Chi Minh Cityhas providedwellan overview of current situation on how social workers are performing their roles and tasks in the process of case management with PWDs at the communityin Ho Chi Minh City reflected from different key stakeholders. It revealsseveral good practices in their practical implementation, those of non-governmental agencies for example; However, remarkable limitations and gaps have been newly found. Regarding the SW roles, the staff has partly performed in mobilizing resources, especially from the natural support system of clients (family members, neighbors, etc.) and experts from different expertises. They have also been enabling PWDs to access different social welfare policies. However, the other core functions of social workers basically navigating and coordinating services and support, facilitating and empowering PWDs in social inclusion are weak and infrequently performed. Besides, some common roles such as the educator or counsellor are performed more weakly.
Thirdthe results also revealed that social workers have partially performed some tasks and activities in the process of case management with PWDs such as making the list of recipients for social welfare, collecting some information about disability and health conditions, education, livelihood and employment of PWDs as well as giving some certain support on social protection. However, the other main tasks are poorly carried out, such as building therapeutic relationships with clients, collecting information and assessing needs in psychological, emotional, life skills, relationships and other social aspects. Planning and implementing plans have received very little attention. Monitoring and evaluating the services and supports are only focused on checking social welfare payments. From the quantitative research, it is indicated that the steps and tasks in the process are closely related. When relevant tasks have not been performed well at a certain stage, it will affect the next steps in the case management process.There is a difference between social workers of Government agencies and non-governmental agencies in implementing the role and tasks.
Forthly,poor performance of social workers on case management roles or tasks can be explained by significant difficulties and barriers stemmed from the limitation on their competencies, gaps in policy mechanisms, low level s and awareness participation of PWDs, their families and communities and leadership and capacities of service agencies. Remarkably, the most common difficulties of social workers are their unclear status, overloaded casework as well as insufficent competencies.
Fifthly,thestudy has discovered a model of five groups of factors that have strong and extremely strong effects including awareness and participation of the family and community, strengths and potentialities of PWDs, the effectiveness of legal policy system, leadership and capacities of service agencies and professional competencies of social workers. Among them, the last has been proven to be the most influential factor group.
TogetherEmpirical results show that training for social workers with a combination of theories and practice, especially personal coaching or supervision in daily working is one of the effective measures to enhance competencies of social workers in case management with PWDs at the community.
12. Practical applicability, if any:
For practical purposes,tThe thesis is licensed.a clear cut for social workersto reflecton tled ownedand getthe feedback fromthe clients about their case management practice. ItA few tweaksthe current situations on their roles and tasks during the process. It also gives them the reference on good, flexible and effective models or practices of their colleagues in other agencies in Ho Chi Minh City.
For education,the systematical theoretical framework and practical research give the reference for institutions to design specialization training programs in social work case management with PWDs at the community. The training needs and capacity building of the staff have been found out for further notice of training. Advancement of social workers after the intervention programs is a strong evidence for a designation of specialized classroom training and one-to-one coaching. articulate, the thesis suggests more appropriate in-depth training and testing programs to help develop the contingencies of those who are working and oriented to work in this field.
For policy making,the thesis policy helps makers and different management levels a scientific, evidence-based recommendations on developing and adapting appropriate policies in promoting professional services and capacity building of social workers. It has been drawn on i) lessons learned from international standards, research and good practice, ii) reflections on the current situation of implementing social work case management in Ho Chi Minh City, including barriers, barriers and difficulties in practice, iii) a model of influential factors that strongly affect implementation of this practice.
13. Further research directions, if any:
ButComparative research on service agencies of social work case management with PWDs at the community.
- Case studies on good models of social work case management with PWDs at the community on a larger scale.
- Design ofthestandards on social work case management with PWDs in Vietnam's context.
14. Thesis-related publications:
1. LeLadyiVelvet,Bui Thi Xuan Mai(2017) “Accessibility to policies and resource mobilization of organizations for people with disabilities in Vietnam”,Proceedings of the international scientific conference on Developing an Inclusive Society through Community Based Approach: Opportunities and Challenges,Ho Chi Minh City University Publishing House, pp.24-35 (ISNB: 978-604-735-5990).
2.Le Thi Nhung (2020), “Roles of Internationalnon-governmental organizations in developing social workadmissions forchildren and personswith sodiumin VietnamInternational Journal for Studies on Children, Women, Elderly and Disabled People, VolOctober 11, 2020,pp.34-40ISSN 0128-309X.
3. Le Thi Nhung(2020), “Challenging livelihoods of persons with disabilities and missing gaps in policies”,Educere-BCM Journal of Social Work (EBJSW),Vol16 (1)June 2020, pp. 5-16ISSN 2249-1090.
4. Le Thi Nhung (2020), “An intervention program of enhancement on knowledge and skills of social work case managers with persons with disabilities”,International Journal for Quality Research(SCOPUS index, Q2,ISSN 1800-6450.Cfather atInternational Conference on Emerging Issues in Social Sciences and Humanities(ICEISH 2020,eISBN 978-967-2426-14-1.
