Type of Project: Funded project
Tasks and Benefits of Social Work in Occupational Rehabilitation (ANSAB)

The research project "Tasks and Benefits of Social Work in Occupational Rehabilitation" (in short: ANSAB) is carried out by the DIFA research unit at the University of Applied Sciences Duesseldorf on behalf of the German Pension Insurance (DRV) Bavaria South. ANSAB takes a look at the tasks and benefits of social work in occupational rehabilitation for re-integration in the working life. It sheds light on the benefits of social work in occupational rehabilitation from different perspectives. To answer the research questions, a participatory approach is chosen within the framework of a mixed-methods design combining qualitative and quantitative methods. The respondents within the different research settings are rehabilitants as users of occupational rehabilitation, social workers in the field of occupational rehabilitation and other experts. The project progress and research results are regularly discussed and evaluated in a project advisory board, which is in the majority composed of rehabilitants. The aim of ANSAB is to develop recommendations for action for social work in the field of occupational rehabilitation in order to improve the sustainability of individual rehabilitation trajectories through transitional support and interface management. In addition, the interdisciplinary research project contributes to the professionalization of social work in the field of occupational rehabilitation, among other things by developing modules for social work study programs and on-the-job further training courses.