Professional competence of experts in psychosocial work

Abstract

The professional competence of experts in helping professions was investigated in centers for social work, Republika Srpska. Using a questionnaire, 100 experts from the fields of psychology, pedagogy and social work were questioned. Their communication skills, mediation skills, teamwork skills and the ability to empathize were investigated, as well as the connection between the level of professional competences and the level of education, age and length of professional experience. The results showed that experts in helping professions have a high level of professional competence for psychosocial work. Experts of older age and longer working experience have a lower level of competence, while the level of education does not affect their professional competence. Supervision is recommended as an efficient way to prevent professional burnout, but also to develop personal and professional competencies.