Social workers confront terrorist victims: The interventions and the difficulties.
The article deals with unremitting stress experienced by social workers dealing with terror victims. The article will describe the activity of social workers responsible for setting up a hospital information center. It will describe how they assist families searching for their loved ones and the process of identifying victims. The process in which the uncertainty is treated, the anxiety is contained, bad news are conveyed and concrete solutions are provided, will be elaborated on. Special emphasis will be placed on the multifaceted complimentary relationship between team members and between the provision of support, role exchange and the opportunity to share difficult experiences. The team is expert in identifying both personal and collective signs of distress. This is of particular significance and importance in connection with compassion fatigue, survival guilt, anxiety, depression and on- going burnout, regarding themselves and their colleagues. The article will propose organizational and clinical solutions, which could also be of service to other frameworks within the health system.
Fraidlin
Nelly
N
Social Services Department, Sapir Medical Center, Meir Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel. nellyfr@clalit.org.il
Rabin
Barbara
B
D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D019548:Crime Victims; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007557:Israel; D007587:Job Description; D011340:Problem Solving; D024382:Professional Role; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012066:Relief Work; D012944:Social Support; D012947:Social Work; D012948:Social Work Department, Hospital; D013534:Survival / Q000523:psychology; D023481:Terrorism / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology