Team Managers in Local Social Service Departments in Israel as Bottom-Up Social Policy-Makers

2021 ◽  
pp. 324-345
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Psychosocial Services ◽  
Service Departments ◽  
New Policies

Following on Felice Perlmutter's work on the managerial role of social workers in social services, this article contributes to the still limited knowledge on the role of social workers in middle-management positions in formulating new policies `on the ground`. The study expands knowledge about policies determined by team managers in local social service departments in Israel. It occurs in the nexus between street-level bureaucracy, professionalism and managerial positions. Semi-structured interviews with 28 team managers revealed that they formulated `new` policies with regard to the provision of psychosocial services and material assistance (who gets what, when and how). This occurs when they resist official policy, when it is vague or non-existent. Most of their policy decisions are not documented and draw upon consultations with colleagues and superiors though not with clients. The team managers perceive these policies as a means for achieving balance between clients' well-being and budgetary constraints. Yet their decisions lack transparency, are decided upon without public discourse and may lead to greater inequity between clients

Adjustment Disorder Amongst Welfare Social Service Clients: The Role of Period of Service Receipt and Social Worker’s Alternation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Mahat-Shamir ◽  
Ester Zychlinski ◽  
Osnat Lavenda ◽  
Maya Kagan
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Random Sample ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Adjustment Disorder ◽  
Common Life

Abstract Adjustment disorder is a maladaptive reaction to common life events. Levels of adjustment disorder can serve as one of the indicators of the effectiveness of social services interventions. Yet, the role of service receipt period and of social worker alternation in explaining levels of adjustment disorder remains unclear. In order to explore this issue, structured questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of 190 clients of a social services department in Israel. Whilst no significant differences were found between service receipt periods with regard to clients’ adjustment disorder, clients treated by a single social worker reported lower levels of adjustment disorder than those treated by alternating social workers. Furthermore, new and long-standing clients, treated by alternating social workers displayed higher levels of adjustment disorder than those treated by a single social worker. The importance of therapeutic alliance is discussed in light of the present findings.

scholarly journals Concerns about the Coronavirus Outbreak among Health and Social Service Workers: The Mediating Role of Job Burnout

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlyn Khouri ◽  
Noga Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Burnout ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Social Service Workers

Background: The current worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has elicited widespread concerns and stress. The current research examined the links between tendency to worry, concerns related to COVID-19 and psychological distress (anxiety, depression, stress). We were specifically interested in the mediating role of job burnout. Methods: Ninety-eight health and social service workers participated in the study (including medical and paramedical staff members, therapists and more). Participants completed an online survey that included questionnaires related to COVID-19 concerns, tendency to worry (PSWQ), psychological distress (DASS) and job burnout (SMBM). Results: Significant correlations emerged between COVID-19-related concerns, tendency to worry and psychological distress. Our findings showed that individuals working in health and social services fields who reported a higher tendency to worry experienced more psychological distress and that job burnout mediated this link. Furthermore, the link between worry and concerns related to COVID-19 was mediated by psychological distress.Limitations: In comparison with other countries such as Italy, and China; the cases in Israel haven't exceeded the coping competencies of the health and social service staffs. Conclusions: These findings highlight the role of worry and job burnout in psychological distress among individuals who work in health and social services fields. The results provide further knowledge regarding the risk factors that make health and social service workers vulnerable at times of crisis and emphasize the need for novel interventions for preventing psychological distress and promoting well-being among populations whose ability to function is crucial at times of crisis.

An End to Incrementalism? The Impact of Expenditure Restraint on Social Services Budgets 1979–1986

1989 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidan Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Social Service ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
The Public ◽  
Total Budget ◽  
Service Departments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACTThe theory of incrementalism is a long-standing and influential perspective on policy making and resource allocation in the public sector. Previous research on social services budgeting suggests that resources are allocated incrementally, although there has been some debate as to whether this would persist in an era of prolonged expenditure restraint. Incremental budgetary outcomes are operationalised as percentage changes in budgets pro-rata with percentage changes in the total budget, and as stable shares of total expenditure for each activity. Data for 99 English social service departments supports incrementalism in that budget shares change by only 1.8 per cent, but percentage allocations depart from pro-rata incrementalism by a mean of 74 per cent. The comparison of the two summary indices over time supports those who have argued that prolonged restraint would encourage non-incremental budgeting, but change in the agency's total budget does not consistently predict budgetary outcomes. The effect of restraint on incrementalism varies with the measure used and across the component activities of the measures, but there is enough evidence to suggest a significant decline in the level of incrementalism in social service departments. In particular, non-incremental budgeting is strongly associated with the growth of day centre expenditure on the mentally ill and the elderly before 1982–3, and after that with the pursuit of the ‘community care’ strategy within state provided services for the elderly and children. Incrementalism as a general theory of agency budgeting is limited in its ability to explain variations in the degree of incrementalism between agencies, between component budgets and over time. The conclusion suggests that further research should seek explanations for these variations in the varying balance of the competing forces which shape outcomes in welfare bureaucracies and in the relationship between these forces and the organisation's environment.

The Impact on Well-Being of Experiences at Cultural Events

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Gorchakova ◽  
Kenneth F. Hyde
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Engagement ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Art Galleries ◽  
Special Events ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Favourable Environment ◽  
The Impact

Major international cultural exhibitions, often referred to as touring ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions (TBEs), are arguably among the most stimulating and engaging event experiences. The role of orchestrating an experience that is meaningful and memorable has captured the attention of scholars in the events literature over recent decades. The aims of this paper are to re-conceptualise major international cultural exhibitions as special events, present a framework of the experiences these exhibitions generate for visitors, and explore the roles such experiences play in visitor well-being. The study draws on the findings of qualitative research conducted in Australia and New Zealand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of art galleries and museums in Melbourne, Canberra, Auckland, and Wellington involved in hosting ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions, as well as representatives of regional cultural, tourism, and events organisations. This paper presents a ‘3Es’ experience realms framework, which comprises the key experiences that a major cultural and arts event generates for visitors: entertainment, enrichment, and emotional engagement. The first realm of the 3Es framework, entertainment, has encountered scepticism in the museum field; however, research findings here corroborate the arguments of those scholars who hold that entertainment may help to engage visitors and facilitate education. Enrichment comprises the creation of a favourable environment for new knowledge to be processed, and the enhancement of knowledge. The third realm is an emotionally engaging experience that results from social interactions, activities, and contemplation of and learning about unique exhibits. The framework demonstrates an interplay of these three major experiential dimensions and visitors’ hedonic and eudaemonic well-being. Exhibition and event organisers can utilise this framework to plan the delivery of memorable experiences for visitors and explore the ways in which their event can be made enjoyable, enriching, and emotionally engaging.

scholarly journals BUILDING DISASTER RESILIENCE FOR OLDER ADULTS AGING IN PLACE: THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S340-S341
Author(s):  
Claire Pendergrast ◽  
Basia Belza ◽  
Ann Bostrom ◽  
Nicole Errett
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Aging In Place ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Senior Centers ◽  
Community Based Organizations

Abstract Older adults are more susceptible to adverse health outcomes during and after a disaster compared with their younger counterparts. Developing community resilience, or strengthening communities to reduce the negative impacts of disasters, has the potential support older adults’ health and well-being. Community-based organizations (CBOs), such as senior centers and Villages, provide social services and programming that support aging in place and may support older adults’ resilience to disasters. This study examines CBO leadership perspectives on the role of CBOs in building disaster resilience for older adults aging in place, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators to incorporating disaster resilience activities into organizational programming. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of staff-members of CBOs serving older adults aging in place in King County, Washington. Participants included representatives from 14 organizations that varied in size, geographic setting, organizational structure, and ethnic, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds of organizational members. The sample included five government-run senior centers, seven non-profit senior centers, and two Villages. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used a combined inductive and deductive approach to code and thematically analyze the data. Results indicate that local context, leadership risk perception, collaborations, and existing services and programming influence CBOs’ willingness to engage in activities supporting disaster resilience for older adults aging in place. Findings suggest that CBOs supporting aging in place may support disaster resilience for older adults by serving as a trusted source of disaster preparedness information and tailoring disaster-related messages for an older adult audience.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Sars Cov-2 Pandemic on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Seniors in Social Care Facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-110
Author(s):  
Z. Budayova ◽  
L. Ludvigh Cintulova
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Open Coding ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

The research study analyses the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and identifies changes in the life satisfaction of seniors in social services facilities. The research sample consisted of 79 seniors in social services facilities, the sample consisted of ten participants, data collection took place in the period from November 2020 to April 2021, where the method of qualitative research was used in empirical research, through semi-structured interviews to determine the impact of Covid-19 on We collected the data collected by open coding and pointed to those dimensions of the lives of seniors that were most marked by pandemic measures against the spread of Covid-19.

What is active in the active exercising of rights?

Radical Hope ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 151-168
Author(s):  
Michal Krumer-Nevo
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services

This chapter is the first of the book’s third part, titled “Rights”. Thinking about rights-based practice as a necessary complement to relationship-based practice is an organizing principle of the PAP. This chapter serves as a theoretical and conceptual introduction to the discussion on rights. In addition, it describes the guidelines of the new role of rights-exercising social workers, which was adopted by the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services. In line with the PAP’s commitment to seeing the emotional and the material worlds as interconnected, this chapter explains how a rights-based practice can become therapeutic.

‘Physical appearance and well-being in adults with incurable cancer: a thematic analysis’

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002632
Author(s):  
Philippa Tollow ◽  
Jane Ogden ◽  
Candida S McCabe ◽  
Diana Harcourt
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Incurable Cancer ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Appearance Changes

ObjectivesExisting research has established the importance of appearance concerns for individuals with cancer and identified appearance as an important factor in dying with dignity. No research, however, has explored in depth the role of appearance in the experiences of individuals who have incurable cancer. This research aims to explore patients’ experiences and perspectives in relation to the role of appearance issues in adults with incurable cancer.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 adults with incurable cancer (20 women, 4 men; mean age 54.5, SD 11.32).ResultsThematic analysis generated three themes: ‘Identity: Embodying Cancer’, ‘Communication: Wearing your illness’ and ‘Support: Holistic Care’. Appearance was felt to be an important element of identity, which was often dominated by cancer, leading to feelings of separation from the participant’s previous self. Appearance changes also influenced the way in which individuals communicated with their external world, forcing discussion of their diagnosis, and increasing focus on their cancer, with participants having to manage the emotional impact of this on loved ones, as well as the impact on their legacy. Finally, participants highlighted the positive impact of appearance-related support in their well-being and identified peer connections and refocusing on the self as key elements of such support.ConclusionsAppearance changes play an important role in the experiences of individuals with incurable cancer with regards to both identity and communication and challenged participants’ ability to maintain normalcy. Further psychosocial support relating to appearance concerns was considered necessary to promote dignity and provide truly holistic patient care.

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