MALBEN-JDC, 12, Kaplan Street, TEL-AVIV. November

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MALBEN-JDC,
12, Kaplan Street,
TEL-AVIV.
November
Shulamith Lubin, Direotor,
PUBLIC RELATIONS
JDC GAV3 HER TWO BREAKS
When Yael Sasson, who received her B.A. degree last summer among the
first graduates of the Hebrew University's Paul Baorward Sohool for Social
!,Tor!c, was detailed to a psyohiatrio hospital in hor senior year's field
training, she didn't think that it was oxaotly her field.
But to-day, potito, brown-haired Yael's eyes shine as she tolls of her
job as a psyohiatrio sooial worker at Jorusalom's Mental Hygiene Clinio and
affiliatod hostol for montal patients undor rehabilitation.
That was the place
sho pickod from a long list of openings pfforod the 44 graduatos of tho School.
''I wantod to stay in tho psyohiatrio fiold and horo I have gratifying
work," oxplains tho 23-*y©ar-<old girl, snatching a half hour off between two,
intorviows with elionts, Horo she ongagos mostly in proyontivo and
rehabilitation work, oan soo a pationt through all phases.
Holping a now
immigrant mothor of six who was roforrod to tho clinic whon adjustment to
conditions in Israol ovorwholmod hoi, is a satisfying oxporionao, if somotimos
"very doprossing."
The clinio, liko tho hostoi, aro part of tho Health Ministry's widoiy
branohod psyohiatrio sorvioos which during tho past few yoars could bo oxpandod
enormously as Malbon-JBG (the Joint's modioal and sooial sorviood in Israol)
joinod Israol's montal hoalth project with ksowr-how and funds.
With Malbon's
assistanoo, tho clinic was oxpandod, tho hostol established, staff trainod,
"In fact," oommonts Yaol, "tho JD0 gavo mo two broaks, for it was instrumental
in sotting up and running tho Baorwald Sohool, and also gavo mo grants and
loans to holp mo along." (This sohool of sooial was first established near
Paris to train social workors noodod in post-war Europe
Tho JDC transforrod
it to Israol in 1958 and mado availablo $500,000 to tido it ovor tho first fow
yoars, still oontinuos to ba gioaaly. BBfinnintQd withfrjft|
Yaol dividos hor timo about oqualiy botwoon olinio and hostol. At tho
olinio, whoro sho is supervised by an Israoli U.S. trainod psyohiatrio
sooial workor, sho intorviows cliBnts and helps them sort out thoir problems.
"Many are paranoid schizophronos, newoomers from oriental oountrios who got
bogged down in tho proooss of adjustment horo."
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- 2 At the hostel she "must aot in all directions. " Clients, discharged
from .nontal homes, stay there for a limited period, living under •>«« rio^n-^1
oonditions as possible, complete with jobs in town, but attended by professional
staff,
"There wo have job problems, housing problems, and the awful problem
of loneliness. We try to get sooial activities going, in whioh the residents
thensolvcs con+ributo.
Wo proparo them for work and arrange housing for thorn
to await thorn upon disohargo."
Yaol is thrillod with tho Friday morning oaso conforonoos at tho olinio
which, sho says, "arc so manifeidod that I gain much oxporionoo and insight."
Sho works much more than hor eight-hour union day, sinoo tho nood for trained
sco-jal workors is acute all over Israol.
Soon tho clinic will got throe sonior
Baorwald Sohool students for their fiold-work, whioh may roliovo hor a bit.
Sho takes hor probloms homo to mull ovor and disouss with hor husband - his
''good commonscnsd'holps her thinking.
Now Yaol hopos for a post-graduate study oourso at tho Baorwald Sohool or,
failing that, somo miraclo that will onablo hor to take hor mastor's dogroo
abroad,
Sho thinks it is very important to oontinuo hor training in sc^io
for'i or othor.
"If I go to study abroad," sho says with a serious faoo, "my
h'l^and would have to oomo along.
I oouldn't learn anything without him..."