Local cooperation between a health centre and a social services department: seven years' experience

For seven years a health centre and the local social services department have worked in close cooperation in a small immigrant town in Israel. A detailed analysis is provided of the content of this cooperation which included area teams, a health centre social worker, group work with patients, health-related community work, inter-agency meetings and directors' meetings. The process of learning how to work together is put in the context of the different needs and expectations of the two agencies and of the community. Our experience is discussed briefly in the light of broader theoretical considerations from the literature.