“How Do Municipal Managers Describe Improving the Services Provided to Drug Death-Bereaved Persons?” a Qualitative Study

Abstract

Bereavement following drug-related losses is potentially traumatizing and may cause adverse health outcomes. These bereaved experiences are unacknowledged and omitted in municipal health and welfare service delivery. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to six focus group interviews with 26 municipal managers. Knowledge about municipal managers' perspectives for improving psychosocial follow-up to drug-death-bereaved persons was perceived as vital for improving the quality of public services. The findings show how the services are perceived to be affected by macro-, meso, and micro-level processes. The participants suggested that service delivery should be based on an integrated organizational approach. Political, organizational, administrative, financial, and communicative processes are addressed and discussed in light of Osborne’s theory of public service logic. The managers argue that a broad, contextual frame and infrastructure, enhancing managers' latitude of action regarding employees and facilitating collaborative service flexibility, would provide more sustainable, competent services.