The Department of Social Work
Psychosocial intervention is an integral part of the service provided by the Chaim Sheba Medical Center to patients and their family members. The purpose of the Social Work Department is to enhance the adaptation of those in its care to the demands and implications arising from illness, disability and injury whether acute or chronic. The ultimate aim is to achieve, together with the patient and family members, optimal quality of life and well being within the confines and constraints of his or her physical condition and the hospitalization.
Social workers promote a comprehensive and integrative treatment approach that addresses the physical, emotional, social and instrumental needs of the patient and family. This is achieved through the implementation of the basic principles and values of social work, which include: viewing the person as a whole, within his or her social, cultural and economic environment; the belief in his/her potential for growth; and, the right to self-determination (where possible) and empowerment. This task has proved to be more difficult with the recent decrease in the length of hospitalization, as a result of economic constraints. This has brought about the need for greater efficiency alongside fewer resources and has magnified the importance of interventions focused on discharge planning and social benefits utilization.
Social Work in Action at Chaim Sheba Medical Center
The basic tenet of social work practice has placed the Department at the forefront of service provision and modification to unique and new patient populations, whose health needs are directly related to changing socio-economic and political demographic factors. Examples of this can be seen in the psychosocial services provided to new immigrants from a diversity of cultures, AIDS patients, foreign workers and homeless individuals.
Treating Victims of Violence and Abuse
The department has placed great importance on the issues of domestic violence, abuse of the elderly and child abuse and neglect. Hospitalization or visits to the Emergency Room provide opportunity for hospital professionals to identify violence and abuse through multi-disciplinary assessment and (the immediate activation of community based services and authorities). To this end, multi-disciplinary in service training programs and workshops are run regularly with the aim of developing the diagnostic skills of hospital personnel so that early, accurate and effective intervention can be ensured. Indeed, the continual increase in the number of identified cases of domestic violence and abuse is evident of the growing awareness and ability of hospital professionals in this field. This work is carried out in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health and the penal provision of the law, which calls for the mandatory reporting of cases of domestic violence and abuse.
Assisting Mass Trauma Victims
The Social Work Department plays a leading role in cases of Mass Trauma such as terrorist attacks. Psychosocial crisis intervention, which is carried out in close collaboration with the psychiatric team, begins with the arrival of the casualties or witnesses at the scene who suffer from emotional shock, and is provided directly to the patients, their family members and friends. The department is responsible for the telephone information center open to the general public for clarification regarding the possible involvement of relatives in the attack. Social workers also accompany and guide families who arrive at the hospital looking for loved ones who they suspect were directly involved in the attacks. A particularly difficult aspect of the work in which social workers have a central role is the identification of non-identified patients and the tracking down of their families.
This work is done in close cooperation with the police. Families are accompanied and supported by social workers while patients are in surgery or in Intensive Care. Social workers mediate between family members and the medical teams and prepare families prior to meetings with physicians that may involve bad news with regard to the condition of the patient. Furthermore, the work is done in close collaboration with the National Institution for Social Security, the Welfare Authorities and volunteer organizations for immediate recruitment of resources. Patients and families receive ongoing services from the department following admission and often following discharge as well, even if the patient spent only a few hours in the hospital. The intervention is multi-faceted and addresses emotional, instrumental and organizational needs.
Integrating Practice and Research to Serve Every Community Level
A fundamental component in the policy of the Social Work Department is the integration of direct clinical practice with academic activities such as research studies, student field training and teaching in universities and schools of different health professions. This department has lead the way in bringing health related social issues identified in clinical practice, to the awareness of policy-makers and works in close cooperation with the National Social Work Department of the Ministry of Health.
The Social Work Department dispenses its services through numerous intervention modalities on the individual, familial, group and community levels. Following are examples of programs provided to various patient populations and /or their families. These programs are often carried out together with colleagues of other professions.
Emergency Medicine
The Social Work Department provides an around-the-clock service on an on-call basis to the various emergency rooms in the medical center. Cases calling for the department's involvement include sudden bereavement, fatal and/or multiple injuries, rape, suspected abuse and domestic violence. Many of the procedures carried out by the Social Work Department are required by law.
