I FELT LOST BUT NEVER LOST HOPE: A guidebook for better communication between social service workers and women immigrating to Helsinki

Abstract

This thesis presents a social work tool in the form of a guidebook. This guidebook was created for social workers in the Helsinki region working with women who have immigrated to Helsinki. The information used to compile the guidebook were focused on intercultural communication, migration and integration, as well as gender-related issues. They included a range of materials such as interviews, journals, books, e-books, professional publications, government documents, records, laws, and statistics, as well as theses at the doctoral, master, and bachelor levels, and manuscripts. The result is a tool where social service workers have information specific to women immigrating to Helsinki to help them have better dialogue with clients and to provide quality service. From an end-user perspective, this guidebook affords the client a more significant opportunity to receive the help they need from the social service worker with whom they are engaging.