Department Head:
Prof. Dalit Yassour Borochowitz
dality@yvc.ac.il
Introduction
The Bachelor of Social Work degree program aims to provide academic and applied education in the field of social work and to develop the student’s professional occupational identity. In addition to theoretical and practical knowledge, the program instills the values and approaches of the social work profession, which are heavily influenced by the changing demands of clients and decision-makers. Students encounter individuals, families, groups, and communities firsthand, and learn to work together to strengthen, nurture, and improve their well-being.
Program Description
The program emphasizes the development of the social worker’s role as an integrator, with the ability to engage at all levels of social work. Hence, studies include:
- Classic and innovative interventional approaches;
- Application of the community approach;
- Social work in rural and multicultural settings;
- Policy-making;
- Mediation between policy considerations and sensitivity to community and individual needs
Successful completion of the progam entitles the graduate to a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) and inclusion in the official Register of Social Workers.
Research
Faculty research includes the following areas: intimate violence, eating disorders, green social work, youth exclusion, ethics of social work, community work in rural areas, and more. More details and publications can be seen on the lecturers’ websites.
Faculty
Faculty Staff >>
Department Contact Information
Ms. Oshrat Roffel, BSW
oshratr@yvc.ac.il
Additional Offices and Activities
Head of Field Studies: Hadas Dikman, MSW
Hadasd@yvc.ac.il
Department News
- In 2024, parallel to the regular program, the department opened a new academic retraining track. This is intended for holders of a bachelor’s degree recognized by the Israeli Council of Higher Education in professions other than social work, who wish to obtain a BSW degree. The program consists of 4 semesters of study over two years. Studies include two days of practical experience in organizations and social services, and three days of classes at YVC. The goal of the program is to impart knowledge, skills, and interventional approaches in the field of social work. The track was opened due to the considerable shortage of professional social workers in Israel, particularly in outlying areas and among minority groups in the northern part of the country.
- In recent years, the department has also offered a course to train new social work counselors. The goal of the course is to prepare experienced social workers for tutoring and training positions. The department also holds 3–4-day seminars on specific topics related to training in general, as well as relevant issues arising from the field. The course is taught by faculty members from the the department’s Field Studies section, who are themselves experienced social workers.
- The Department of Social Work is interested in initiating academic relationships with parallel programs around the world:
- In 2023, social work students from KSH München (Katholische Stiftungshochschule München – University of Applied Sciences Munich) visited the college and met with second-year students for a shared workshop. This year (2024), it has not been possible to host international students due to the security situation, but the collaboration will continue through an joint online course on the subject of multiculturalism.
- Since 2023, the department has conducted a student exchange program with the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. In 2023, a group of students from Baltimore came to YVC to learn about issues related to social justice. A group of third-year students from YVC’s Department of Social Work was scheduled to travel to Baltimore in April 2024 for the continuation of the joint seminar, but due to the war and the security situation in Israel, the trip had to be canceled, but a joint course with students from both universities will be held via Zoom.