Reassessing a Theory of Professional Expertise: A Cross-National Investigation of Expert Mental Health Social Workers
The effect of globalization on community demographics and social service delivery systems has increased the need for a diverse continuum of psychosocial services in mental health settings. Social workers are central to the provision and management of these services, especially in psychiatric hospitals and community mental health services. This paper presents the findings from a cross-national study of expert mental health social workers in Melbourne, Australia and San Jose, California, USA. In this study, expert social workers were selected based on a peer-nomination process and they were invited to participate in two-hour focus group interviews in which they described a memorable practice situation. Detailed accounts of these practice situations were gathered from 19 Australian and American expert practitioners employed in community-based mental health settings. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using ATLAS.ti qualitative software. The study findings corroborate many of the dimensions that are explicated in a theory of professional expertise developed by Fook, Ryan, and Hawkins (2000). Further, the findings describe the skillful and ethical comportment of these social workers in the context of often complex and challenging practice situations. Narrative accounts are used to demonstrate the distinguishing features of expert practice described by Fook et al. (2000), especially when providing services to people with chronic mental illness. In-depth articulation of practice expertise using cross-national data enhances social work research and pedagogy by providing important exemplars that inform more fully the development of empirically based practice theories.