title: Social services in Sweden: an overview of policy issues, devolution, and collaboration.
abstract: This article is the first of three related to social welfare policy in Sweden. It presents an overview of social services in Sweden highlighting its history, financing, and the various welfare programs offered in one of the more unique liberal democracies in the world. Sweden has had a long-standing historic commitment to the social welfare of its citizens. Its social services are aimed primarily in two areas: care of individuals and families and care of the elderly and disabled persons. The article then presents a generalized discussion of the global devolution revolution and how this impacts policies, best practices, and service delivery. It concludes with the solution to the worldwide devolution revolution-collaboration-and offers some of the stories behind the story of collaboration in various countries and communities of the world.
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia, School of Social Work, Athens, Georgia 30602-7016, USA. mholosko@uga.edu
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Holosko
authors.forename: Deborah Ann
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Holosko
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006801:Humans; D011640:Public Policy; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012947:Social Work / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D013548:Sweden; D013660:Taxes