Psychosocial Professionals in Chilean Justice Institutions. Reflections Based on the Experiences and Practice of Psychologists and Social Workers

Abstract

This study seeks to answer what is understood by the psychosocial and how this is implemented based on the experiences of those who apply it in Chilean justice institutions—specifically social workers and psychologists. A qualitative study was conducted in two regions of Chile with a high number of intervened cases in justice institutions. Results show that the psychosocial approach is a way to understand and address a complex social problem beyond the limits of psychological and social methods. However, even when this framework is theoretically considered throughout a professional’s formation, it may not be evident when applied in practice. Overall, the effort to incorporate this knowledge in justice needs to be expanded to achieve better interventions.