Reimagining social work: letting go of futures past

Imminent crises and the much-needed transition to a sustainable society bring knowledge about de-implementation to the fore. Using case studies with inspiration from process tracing, and with tools from Charles Tilly’s theory on Durable inequality, we identify mechanisms that generate inequality and counteract the implementation of recovery – and strength-based practices. Our case studies of social work with homelessness in Swedish municipalities, the prospective implementation of Housing First (HF) and the early implementation of Individual Placement and Support (IPS), show that there are recurring similarities in implementation barriers, despite differences in focus of methods and context. They generate knowledge of importance to an emerging critical framework for de-implementation. Such de-implementation knowledge has a strong potential as a practical tool in transforming social and mental health work.