Search

This qualitative study explored the perceptions of Palestinian social service executive directors and social workers regarding the effects of working in the turbulent environment of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Focus groups with social workers and individual interviews with administrators examined how shared vicarious trauma (VT) influenced social workers’ ability to complete their tasks, serve their clients, and manage the stress of their surroundings. The shared nature of the VT allows agency administrators, workers, and clients to evoke a common perception of the world in which they live and work. The study found that the strategies Palestinian agencies used to help workers handle the trauma they experience in their jobs and lives were guided by the administrators’ understanding of shared VT and the need for agencies to respond with supportive activities and structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]