The Health for All (HAP) Project has published the Practical Manual for Social Workers in Primary Health Care, a new professional reference approved by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (Order No. 303, dated 28 April 2026). The manual was developed with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through HAP, and authored by Prof. Assoc. Eliona Kulluri, a lecturer of the University of Tirana’s Faculty of Social Sciences, in consultation with a broad working group of institutional partners and frontline professionals.
Grounded in the biopsychosocial model of health, the manual responds to a clear gap: a significant share of cases handled in primary health care (PHC) involve social determinants — poverty, social isolation, domestic violence, mental health difficulties, and barriers to accessing services — that cannot be addressed through clinical care alone. The manual positions the social worker as an essential member of the multidisciplinary PHC team, with defined competencies in psychosocial assessment, case management, inter-institutional referral, health education, counselling, and advocacy for patients’ rights.
Structured around eight chapters, the manual covers the social worker’s professional principles and functions, priority intervention areas — including chronic and disabling illness, mental health, gender-based and domestic violence, child and family protection, elderly care, disability, and poverty — as well as case management processes, multidisciplinary teamwork, monitoring and performance indicators, and professional ethics and confidentiality. It closes with twelve practical appendices, including standardised assessment forms, intervention-planning templates, and case-reporting tools, designed to support consistent, evidence-based practice across health centres.
The manual complements the Manual of the Psychologist in Primary Health Care, published under the same initiative, and reflects HAP’s continued work to strengthen multidisciplinary socio-healthcare teams across Albania. Training on its use is currently ongoing for social work professionals in PHC.
The manual is available for download in the Manuals & Programs section of HAP’s official website or here.