Employee Appreciation Day: A Conversation with Beit Ruth’s Supervising Social Worker

by Elissa Einhorn, Beit Ruth Grants & Communications Manager

In the United States, National Employee Appreciation Day is observed annually on the first Friday in March – this year, March 6, 2020. This is a day to recognize staff achievements and how much each staff member contributes to an organization.

In appreciation of our amazing Beit Ruth staff, who care for our girls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, we are bringing this celebration to Israel! Meet Rotem Farhi, Beit Ruth’s Supervising Social Worker.

What drew you to the Social Work profession?

In Israel, every youth goes to the army. I was lucky because I had a special position as a soldier in a boarding school for youth at-risk. I was 18 years old. It was the first time I ever met a Social Worker. I was amazed at how much she helped youth with their problems. I was interested in psychology and social work is a combination of therapy and psychology. While I was studying for my first degree, I learned about sexual abuse and I kept learning about the topic. Being a social worker is just the right place for me.

How long have you been a social worker?

I have been a social worker for 13 years. I have an MA degree and studied trauma and sexual abuse.

How long have you worked at Beit Ruth and what is it about the Village that drew you to want to work there?

I began working at Beth Ruth in 2013, when the Village moved from the hostel in Rishon L’Tziyon to Afula. The minute I stepped through the beautiful gates, I felt a connection. I felt like it was my home. It was really very clear to me – there was something about the way Beit Ruth worked with the girls. I felt like I belonged. I love to work with the girls. I can be myself and bring my knowledge and experience to the work. It gave me a place to delve into my field in a meaningful way.

How many Social Workers do you work with and how to you train them?

I supervise four Social Workers – one in each Beit Ruth house and one who is responsible for intake. There is also an Education Manager in each house and five shift counselors per house. I believe the education staff – the managers and the counselors – need to know theories about trauma and how to understand the connection between the girls’ life experiences and their behaviors – especially what’s behind the behaviors.

We also have weekly group meetings where we bring case studies and learn from each other. We do quarterly staff development trainings where we study a specific subject, for example, methods of dealing with crises and crisis prevention. We talk about how to understand what a girl needs and how to respond to those needs, or how to identify if a girl is depressed or sad before she expresses it. I teach counselors how to notice these signs.

Sometimes we bring external lecturers from different professions to talk about special topics that we need to learn more about. Beit Ruth Social Workers also attend conferences about subjects like trauma and we are also invited experts at conferences. We are always learning and need to keep learning all of the time. There is always more to know.

What is a typical day for you at the Village?

I don’t know if there is a typical day!

I have a lot of meetings with staff! I meet one-on-one with Social Workers and Managers. I provide therapy to a few girls. I am also part of the Beit Ruth Management team. And I do crisis management, helping the staff deal with crises. I also spend time in each house because I need to know everything about what is happening with each girl.

As a Social Worker, what is the best outcome for a girl at Beit Ruth girl?

This is a hard question because it is not always specific. In therapy, the first thing I do is to give a girl the safe place that she never had before. Even when she first comes to Beit Ruth, she doesn’t feel safe inside. She is carrying a big burden on her back about what happened to her. I sit and listen. I need to build a safe place for her, like being back in the womb. There is a special bonding that happens with this relationship. That is the best outcome we can give them – a good relationship that they never had before, a relationship that doesn’t hurt them.

There are many other things that help them to live a normal teenage life. In therapy, they learn the basic needs of loving and caring. I can tell you that the girls who do better in their lives had good relationships with staff. So, if we succeeded in building those relationships, that is a great outcome.

Also, if girls feel like Beit Ruth is their home even though they don’t have access to their phone all the time like other teenagers, there are a lot of rules, and they don’t have much privacy – that is the best outcome.

How do girls show that they appreciate you?

They hug me! If I’m out sick, they ask me, “Where were you?” Along with the therapeutic process, it’s about learning social behaviors – from thinking of others to learning to say thank you and then saying it.

There are also little ways. When you walk around the Village, you feel it. Girls don’t always need to do or say something. It’s important to tell my husband I love him, but it’s important to just feel that we care about each other.

Staff turnover at Beit Ruth is very low. This is uncommon in the mental health field. Why do you think this is?

If a mother wants to be a good mother, she must first care for herself. That is a vision for us at Beit Ruth. We believe the staff must feel good. That’s true for all staff, no matter the position – from counselors to the office staff. We believe in creating relationships between staff members. It’s important that we work together and help each other. If there is a crisis with a girl, you are never alone with it.

In my position, I’m a Social Worker for the staff. If anyone has a personal problem, they know they can talk with me and I’ll help them. It’s important to be open with helping and developing staff. We deal with problems together.  Also, we are very committed to ongoing professional development.  It is key, especially in our line of work.

What is it like being part of the Beit Ruth professional team?

We are one big family. The relationship is personal, not just being part of a staff. If I get a call in the evening from someone who had a bad shift, I will talk to them.

What is the best part about working at Beit Ruth?

For me personally, I honestly believe in the way we do our work. We have a vision to help young girls at-risk. We do it – it’s not just fiction. I have a part in that and that gives me great satisfaction from my work.