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Although self-disclosure is of great importance in the profession, there is scarce writing and discussion on this topic in social work education, and specifically on developing new pedagogical methods of implementing it in the classroom. Within the framework of a Working With Individuals in Their Environment course, we have developed pedagogical methods to help students to engage in self-disclosure as part of the process of developing their professional identity. We present four illustrations of self-disclosure pedagogies that we developed: "from opening the suitcases to closing them"; the educator as a model of self-disclosure; self- disclosure through active learning; and how to apply self-disclosure in practice. These four different pedagogies serve different goals related to developing students' professional identity.

Background: Research on supported employment for individuals with intellectual disabilities has focused mainly on its effect on employees. Scant research has assessed the influence on employers and on the work setting. This study focused on a unique program to foster the employment of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the Israeli military and examined the effect of the program on the employers (military commanders) and on the military units. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 military commanders. Results: Four themes illustrate the influence of people with intellectual disabilities on the military units in which they work: (a) functioning of the military unit, (b) effect on other soldiers, (c) effect on commanders, and (d) effect on attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities. Conclusions: Results suggest that employing soldiers with intellectual disabilities has beneficial effects on both commanders and the military units, although some negative attitudes remain and merit interventions.

Despite the complexity inherent in undertaking and teaching psychosocial assessments, and although assessments are viewed as a critical component of helping relationships and a core skill in social work, the literature lacks in attention to how assessment is taught. The present article addresses this gap and introduces a pedagogical kit teaching students to undertake psychosocial assessments. It is based on the authors’ experience in a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) course in an Israeli college. The proposed kit applies the principles of experiential learning and learning by doing, and is informed by and informs the students’ field experiences. The kit includes four pedagogies: getting started—three steps to familiarity with psychosocial assessment; translating theory to practice through active learning; integrating the different assessment areas; and writing a psychosocial report. For each, classroom implementation and specific objectives are described and illustrated in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing interest in the experience of early-career social workers, the literature on the formation of their professional identity in the transition to workplace is limited. The aim of the present qualitative research is to explore how social workers perceive the formation of their professional identity in their first years of practice and what the significance of their professional identity as social workers is in their overall early-career experience. Two focus groups were conducted online with eleven Israeli graduates. The findings indicated that forming a professional identity was central to the participants' experience in their first years of their practice, and was described as a complex, ambivalent, and even contradictory process. They used the term 'impostor syndrome' to describe this process. It emerged as a developmental stage—a state of being and a coping mechanism with the discrepancies between the participants' inner world and the world outside, and between the image of the ideal professional identity and that of the profession in general they had held in mind as students and the one they encountered in their day-to-day field practice. These findings and their implication for social work practice are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relations between grandmothers and their grandchildren following the loss of the son/father have not been studied to date. The present article focuses on this experience, as reflected in the stories of grandmothers (bereaved mothers) and spouses (widows) after the loss, and explores the perception of grandparenthood following the loss of the son/husband. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten grandmothers (bereaved mothers) and spouses (widows) who were recruited as a convenience sample. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings revealed three key patterns of the grandmother–grandchild relations, as perceived by the two groups of women. The patterns indicate complex relations between widows and bereaved mothers, which have implications for the access of the grandmothers to their grandchildren and for their perception of grandparenthood. The study sheds light on the patterns of relations in families that have lost the son/husband/father. The change in power balance between family members and the asymmetry in the family structure created by the absence of the son/husband affect grandparenthood relations. The study emphasises the role of the widows, as the middle generation, in shaping or mediating relationships following the loss. The findings stress the importance of clinical intervention with both the bereaved mothers and the widows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a rise in the life expectancy of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, many adults with CF form couple relationships. Yet, dyadic coping has not been previously examined in people with CF. This study examined how adults with CF and their partners cope as a couple with the illness, and what meanings each partner and the couple as a unit attribute to the experience. Seventeen adult CF patients and their partners participated in separate semi‐structured in‐depth interviews. Two main patterns of dyadic coping with CF were identified as follows: cooperation and tension. For couples in cooperation, the marital relationship served as a resource for adaptive coping. These couples were characterized by similarities in their perception of the place of CF in their lives and of their roles in the marital relationship. Couples in tension described the couple relationship as strained by difficulty of accepting the disease, proliferation of negative emotions, and a sense of burden and loneliness in the process of coping. Findings point to the importance of mutual empathy, clear and accepted division of roles between the partners, and open communication for facilitating coping as a couple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the perception of the relationships between widows and bereaved mothers after the loss of their husband or son from a double perspective. Background: Despite the centrality of the husband and son in making the connection between the mother‐in‐law and the daughter‐in‐law, there are almost no studies on the implications of the absence of the husband and son, after he is deceased, on this relationship. Method: Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 widows and 10 bereaved mothers who were recruited by convenience sample. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The findings indicate complex relationships between widows and bereaved mothers. Some factors, such as a history of good relations, helped bolster the relationship, but others such as guilt, blaming, and obstructing actors, thwarted it. Conclusion: The complexity of the relationship between widows and bereaved mothers after loss points to the importance of assessing their relationship close to the loss, as well as of direct intervention in the relationship, to prevent the development and escalation of conflicts between the women. Implications: Systemic professional intervention is suggested as a means for improving relations between widows and bereaved mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, an increasing number of qualitative studies sought to investigate the dynamics of various dyads by conducting in‐depth, multiple family member interviews. The emphasis in the methodological literature dealing with this type of research is primarily on the data collection process, and much less on the development of methods suitable for the analysis of the data thus derived, especially with regard to dyads consisting of family members belonging to different systems: families of origin or nuclear families. The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for dyadic analysis based on examining the dynamics of the evolving relationships between key caregivers of a family member with brain injury. The model includes inductive and abductive phases of analysis, and it is based on an ecological‐systemic perspective. The benefits of this model are highlighted, and its potential contribution is further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explored perceptions regarding work from home (WFH). The COVID-19 pandemic led to a sharp increase in WFH. Despite its potential advantages compared to work outside home (WOH), WFH may also be challenging and intensify both work-home and home-work conflicts. The sample included 150 Israeli employees who worked from home due to COVID-19. We inquired about WFH perceptions by asking participants to provide metaphors for WFH, as well as WOH. We also explored the advantages and challenges of WFH as reported by the participants. The findings pointed to complex perceptions regarding WFH, with most participants viewing it as negative. Among the women, a minority viewed it positively, as it enabled them greater space for negotiating work-home and home-work conflicts, suggesting that traditional gender roles have been maintained. Thus, while examining changes due to the shock of the pandemic, the study sheds light on WFH that endure under ordinary circumstances. This study demonstrates the ongoing importance of social and communal support, as well as state policies, for promoting gender equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study focuses on blogs written by Israeli girls, aged 14 to 18, concerning their body and the developmental process of identity construction. Using a sociocultural approach, the study examined the ways in which the girls write about their bodies, what issues they raise in their blogs concerning their body and identity, and what blog writing about the body offers to them in the process of identity construction. A combination of thematic-categorical analysis and structural-linguistic analysis was used to analyze 27 blogs (86 posts) written by Israeli girls. The findings reveal a complex picture about the ways in which girls experience their bodies and perceive societal norms concerning their appearance. The blogs included the girls' feelings of insecurity, stress, and confusion about their body and at the same time served as a place where girls were able to voice resistance to the current ideal of beauty and of social conventions. Findings also reveal the ways in which the girls presented their body to their girl peers. The study concludes that writing blogs is an important channel for Israeli girls to engage in discourse about the body as part of the process of identity formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Identity development among individuals with disabilities may depend on their being included in central institutions in society. The centrality of the military in Israeli society makes it a highly important setting for inclusion and identity development. We examined the self-identity of young adults with intellectual disabilities who serve in the "Equal in Uniform" project. Material and methods: Forty-nine interviews were conducted with 31 individuals with intellectual disabilities. Results: Findings showed that military service helped develop the identity of soldiers, which enhanced their self-efficacy. Participants described their participation in the military as an opportunity to take an active part in socially valued roles. Conclusions: Findings are discussed with reference to the effect of the project on the self-identity of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The meaning of successfully serving in socially valued roles for self-efficacy is discussed. Completing socially valued roles leads to greater self-efficacy, enhanced self-esteem and greater psychological well-being among individuals with intellectual disabilities. Inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities within a central community setting (specifically the military) allows them to deal with issues of identity development, as it does for other young people without intellectual disabilities. Receiving ongoing positive input from others for one's abilities and success is a conducive factor in positive identity formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative research focused on the relationships between family members of patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). The aim was to explore the dynamics between caregivers of the family member with a brain injury during rehabilitation hospitalization, and the relationships between them and the rest of the extended family. Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted with family members. In each family, the spouse of the patient and another family member involved in caregiving were interviewed. The importance of the relationships between family members during rehabilitation hospitalization justifies the examination undertaken in this research. Findings point at the change that took place in the relationships between family members because of the need to cope with a relative’s injury. It is possible that direct intervention in the dynamics of the relationship, especially between the family of origin and the nuclear family of the injured person, can benefit extended families in coping with the crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]