Monitoring Interventions with Young Israeli Families

Correspondence to Dr Rami Benbenishty, School of Social Work, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 91905. Summary This paper describes a study monitoring interventions with familiestreated by a welfare agency in Jerusalem, Israel. The treatmentapproach is eclectic and is based mainly on a view of the familyas a system and on task-centred and problem solving orientationsto family treatment. Sixty families were studied. The clients'median age was about 30 years old and the median number of childrenwas two per family. The clients approached the welfare agencyfor four main reasons: financial difficulties (especially heavydebts), severe health problems and disabilities, marital difficulties,and problems in raising children. The practitioners identifiedin two thirds of the families dangerous situations that neededimmediate attention. A repeated measures design utilizing several outcome measureswas used. According to the workers' assessments, based on theCRS (Epstein et al., 1982), functioning improved and progresstoward goal attainment was observed in most families. The magnitudeof changes in functioning, however, was small. The workers'and clients' assessments of change and of goal attainment weremore positive. There were indications of deterioration at followup. The treatment outcomes are discussed in light of the clientand treatment characteristics. Changes in client selection,length of treatment, and an active follow up strategy are suggested.