Social work Department

ALYN's social workers support, guide and assist patients and their families throughout all the departments of the Hospital i.e. the Rehabilitation Department, Day Rehabilitation Department, Shachar Rehabilitation Educational Medical Day Care Center, the Legacy Heritage Fund Independent Living Neighborhood and the various Out Patient clinics.

The social workers focus on the family and their background and regard the child as part of the family unit and the community to which they belong .

Accordingly, the social workers guide the patients and their families from the first meeting , prior to their admission, through the rehabilitation process and finally they assist in planning and implementing the patient's return to their home and community.

The social workers play a major role in creating each patient's personalized rehabilitation program taking into account:

• the needs, emotional resources and coping skills of the child and their family
• the rehabilitation program must be appropriate to the emotional and physical circumstances  of the patient and their family
• the patients' families are encouraged to participate in the planning and implementation of their child's rehabilitation program

 The social workers are regularly in touch with the authorities and organizations within the community which can provide relevant services to the patients and their families.

The social worker's responsibilities include:

• helping the family prepare for a period of hospitalization in the Rehabilitation Department or helping the family prepare for their child's entrance to the Shachar Day Care Center
• assessing and evaluating the emotional resources and coping skills of the family
• crisis intervention
• assessing the patient's emotional development relating to their physical disability and guiding, supporting and strengthening the family in their coping mechanisms
• liaising and coordinating between the Hospital's multidisciplinary staff and the family
• guidance, coordination and assistance in advising the families about the rights of their child and of the family within the health services, educational system and the social services
• coordinating the patient's discharge plan from the Hospital and the referrals from the ALYN staff relating to the continuation of their rehabilitation within the community
• children at risk: it is the responsibility of the social workers to identify children at risk due to neglect or abuse.  They will then consult and work with the social services and health services
• volunteers: the social workers are responsible for ALYN volunteers in coordination with the Human Resources Department

ALYN employs  a staff of 7 social workers who specialize in working with children and their families within a multi-faceted framework.  The team is trained in individual therapy, group therapy, therapy in a play room and parental guidance.