O ponto de encontro familiar em Portugal findos dois anos de intervenção

Abstract

Interparental conflicts arising from marital separation are a cause of maladjustment in the family life, both for the adults involved and for their children, with serious consequences that persist in time, in many cases. Timely and appropriate intervention can avoid its prolongation and generate conditions for cooperative co-parenting with both parents involved, interacting with each other to promote the well-being and development, without conflict, thus increasing the perception of safety and adjustment. In Portugal, this intervention is ensured by the Family Meeting Points that have been in operation for about two years. This qualitative and exploratory study intends to analyze the professionals’ perception about the characteristics, effectiveness of their practice and reflections on the same in order to improve an intervention that is fundamental since it is the only one mandated judicially in Portugal. Seventeen technicians, from Family Meeting Points, from diverse backgrounds, aged between 26 and 50, participated in the study through participation in two focus groups and nine individual interviews. The data were analyzed through the procedures of the Thematic Analysis, using Nvivo software. The results show that, although much has been done in these two years and that professionals are aware of the importance of their role, there is much that can be improved to make the intervention more effective. Implications for practice, as well as for future research, are presented, based on the reflection on the limitations of the study.
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Date of Award	29 Jan 2018
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rita Francisco (Supervisor) & Marta Pedro (Co-Supervisor)