Crisis in the workplace: The role of the occupational social worker

Beginning several months before the Gulf War and continuing through the cease-fire, the Israeli economy underwent dramatic and generally negative changes. Among those most profoundly affected were the country's workers. This article examines the socioeconomic impact of the war and the efforts of occupational social workers to cope with the needs of Israeli working men and women. Techniques of crisis intervention are examined in the context of a pervasive atmosphere of change and uncertainty. This article concludes with a look at the requirements of occupational social workers in such situations and an attempt to extrapolate from this experience to other instances of widespread crisis.