Social Work in Jewish Community Centers: A Question of Compatibility

Abstract

This article focuses on the Jewish community center JCC) as a host setting for social work practice. Findings of a national study of JCC professional staff designed to explore the degree of congruence between social work values and JCC practice are presented. The findings have implications for other sectarian and nonsectarian host settings providing similar types of services. The survey was sent to practitioners at 191 of 200 JCCs. The sample was drawn from a population of MSW and non-MSW personnel. Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which they fulfilled particular social work responsibilities. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the independent t tests were used to analyze the data. The study findings demonstrate that social workers actively call on their knowledge, values, and skills, deal with the social welfare concerns of constituents, and use the agencies' Jewish function as a guide for their practice.