Family-centred practice in the interface between child welfare and the alcohol and drug field

Recently publicized cases of child abuse and neglect ahve highlighted the complexity of interaction between professionals in the alcohol and drug field and those in the child welfare field. Despite exhortations to practitioners in both fields to see their clients from a "family-centred perspective", a range of psychological, ethical, conceptual, professional and organizational factors mean that this often remains an elusive goal. In this paper the obstacles to adopting a family-centred approach which cuts across different professions and fields of service are identified. These factors interact in complex ways and although workers feel the tensions, it is difficult for them to perceive the set of constraints as a whole from the vantage point of an actor in the process. By identifying and analysing these obstacles workers in both fields may be better able to collaborate in maximizing the opportunities which also exist for family-centred practice.