THE PSYCHIC ORGANIZATION OF COMMUNITY CARE - A KLEINIAN PERSPECTIVE

Psychoanalytic thinking has frequently been considered irrelevant to e nhancing our understanding of social work. Melanie Klein's model of an xiety, relating to the paranoid-schizoid and depressive positions, is briefly outlined in order to demonstrate its use in helping to make se nse of community care at the policy, supervision and practice levels. No 'answers' are arrived at, but a way of thinking is demonstrated tha t will hopefully illuminate the current debate.