Conceptualizing Psychosocial Care at Israeli Sexual Assault Referral Centers

Abstract

Summary

“Seeds of strength” may be sown following a sexual assault, as survivors begin their recovery within specialized care centers. This empirical qualitative study conceptualizes the psychosocial interventions provided by social workers in Israeli sexual assault referral centers (SARCs), where social workers serve as case managers within multidisciplinary teams, a structure unique to Israel compared to commonly described international models. Guided by a trauma-informed care framework and grounded in Constructivist Grounded Theory, the study applied a Multiple Perspective Interviews approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 participants at a northern Israeli SARC, including eight survivors of sexual assault and eight social workers. Data were analyzed using the Constant Comparative Method to develop a conceptual understanding of intervention components from both professional and experiential perspectives.

Findings

Four core components of psychosocial intervention were identified: a supportive holding space; restoring a sense of control; information provision; and empowerment. Together, these components describe how care is experienced as emotionally containing, choice-enhancing, informative, and strengthening in the acute postassault context.

Applications

The strong alignment between social workers’ professional intentions and survivors’ perceptions highlights the effectiveness of Israeli SARCs in delivering trauma-responsive psychosocial care. Beyond its conceptual contribution, the study informed national quality assessment processes led by the Medical Division of the Israeli Ministry of Health. The findings provide a foundation for developing evaluation tools, training programs, and future research on psychosocial interventions in acute sexual assault care, with potential relevance to SARC models in other settings.