earticle

영어

The purpose of this study was to explore employeesʼ experiences of integrated services in Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Centers in Seoul. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven employees, including managers and heads of Healthy Family and Multicultural Family Support Centers. The interviews identified three themes: the direction of integrated service, the characteristics of the integration process, and the challenges of integrated service. For the direction of integrated service, the participants identified the integration center as a professional family services organization that provided customized services for different types of families. During the integration process, employees found it difficult to provide integrated services because few guidelines existed on operating an integration center that provided services to families with different characteristics and needs. However, they also explained positive aspects of integration, such as strengthening the businessʼs capacity by expanding the organization. To improve integrated service, employees emphasized the expertise and appropriateness of the family services over the efficiency of the integration centers. They also stressed expansion as a role of a professional family services organization. These findings suggested that establishing a clear direction for integrated service as well as the roles of administrative support agencies is important for activating integrated services.