Appropriateness of the Helpline as a Mode of Service Delivery in Minority Communities: The Case of the Arab Population in Israel

ABSTRACT

In 1996, a project providing a helpline to the Arab-speaking population was established in five different locations in Israel. This article explores the potential fit of the helpline, whose stated goals are to provide psychological support and referral information, as an appropriate mode of service delivery among the Arab population living in Israel, in light of the fact that it constitutes an ethnic and sociopolitical minority with specific cultural norms and values. Such an investigation can make a contribution on both practical and theoretical levels and be another step toward a more culturally sensitive discourse in the helping professions.

KEYWORDS:

• Service delivery
• Arabs
• Israel
• helpline