變遷中的縣市政府社會工作實務:1990年代的北縣經驗

Abstract

本研究主要以九○年代的臺北縣政府社工人員為出發，試圖還原九○年代政府社會工作實務的發展轉折及形貌，探討政府社工員制度演化下的工作內涵轉變。 臺北縣政府社會工作員制度的演化歷程，從七○年代的省府時期主導實驗到建制，隨著八○年代地方自主呼聲漸增、挑戰省府「由上而下」的制度推行，九○年代轉而以中央政策指引、縣府主導人事的形式持續前進。臺北縣自1990年10月將過去派駐鄉鎮公所的社工人員，改配置在以特定人口群為服務對象的功能性中心，以回應九○年代推陳出新的福利政策法令措施等外在變動。本研究的焦點集中於論述九○年代的北縣社工員制度以功能性分工取向的發展演變，觀察到當時社政部門不同局長主政的三個階段，為了因應當時內外在環境的變動，均以調動人力的思維方式與做法來回應，只是每一次的人力配置調整或變革都意味著工作內容的變動，無論是身處其間的第一線工作者，還是與服務輸送密切的相關服務網絡，以及所欲服務的對象本身，同樣也要因應這樣的變動所帶來的影響。 九○年代臺北縣政府社工人員的實務施作形貌，研究者以工作任務無限擴大的量變與工作內涵無限延伸的質變來分別加以描述。從九○年代初期回應多元化服務輸送角色，到九○年代中期開始的戰國時期，呈現出任務無限擴大的混亂角色。其次，九○年代前後期政府社會工作實務的日常運作轉變，顯現在服務專精化的稀釋性、流程規格化的少彈性及角色多元化的衝突性這三點，所突顯的是社工人力不足、配置調動無理性規劃以及政策法令所範定的多重角色過度負荷等議題。最後，政府社工發展出因應轉變的「四部曲」策略，包括以提升工作者的專業知能為主、嘗試結合民間資源為輔、社工同儕間的團隊合作及社工本身的個人承諾作為其面對各項工作挑戰的憑藉。 本研究藉由臺北縣政府社工員制度的演化歷程描述以及實務操作層面的探討，期望帶給讀者一個更具縱深性的歷史視角，理解政府社工的本質就是因應不斷的轉變。最終，針對政府社工的社會位置、實質自主、以及地方自主演化所帶給政府社工發展的可能契機等逐一討論，嘗試引發社群省思政府社工未來發展的可能性。

The social work system of local government in Taiwan had gone through a transitional process since 1970s. The central government, in facing the social and economic changes 60s and 70s, had implemented a pilot social work system in the local level to administrate social problems and deliver social services to the needed. Besides, the democratic movement starting from 1970s had also challenged the patriarchal governmental administration and asked for more autonomy in the local government level. In echoing both external changes, the social service unit of Taipei County Government changed the prior pilot social work service system and proposed a social service system reform in the October 1990. Under the prior pilot social worker system, the County Government accredited the social workers by geographical unit in the villages or towns. After the system reformed, the social work service system has been divided into several service centers by different functions according to specific population group, such as center of welfare service for elderly, center of welfare service for disabled, women and children service center, youth service center, voluntary center, in responding to the welfare policy which has gone through the old to bring forth the new to change. I, as the researcher, had started my frontline social work practice in Taipei County at prior 1990s and had personally experienced these changes. I considers this reform happened in social work service system of Taipei County has not only changed the modes and procedures of social work practice, but also the social work practice per se and the services the clients has received. Therefore, basing on the personal narratives of frontline social workers who have gone through this transitional process, I intend to explore and represent what is governmental social work practice like in 1990s under these societal, governmental, and administrative transitional process changes at Taipei County. In data presenting, I’ve using a bifocal illustrative strategy to present these governmental social workers’ practice experiences. One is the evolved course of the social work system and the other is the operational procedure of governmental social work practice. In discussion section, I propose a historical perspective in understanding social work practice at the local government of Taiwan. I argue that through this historical perspective, governmental social work practice is undergoing unease transformation accordance to the social position of social work profession, the autonomy of each social worker, and the governance of local government. Finally, I think that the transitional process in the local government social work system is bringing an opportunity for us to consider what the governmental social work should be like and hope this study could be part of the foundations for future study.