Pioneering LGBT Social Work: The Formation of a New Role Through Practice in Institutional Contexts

In 2017, Israel pioneered a globally novel position: LGBT social workers within the welfare system. This marked a transition from NGO-based service delivery to direct governmental responsibility, creating new professional roles for a historically marginalized population within the mainstream welfare system. This study examined how practice-driven processes shape professional role development when serving marginalized populations. A qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews was conducted with 50 social workers who currently hold or previously held LGBT social worker positions across 49 local authorities in Israel (78% coverage). Data were collected between February and September 2024. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four central themes emerged: (1) From ambiguity to practice-driven design-The absence of clear formal definitions enabled workers to become active architects of their own positions through locally responsive approaches; (2) Active outreach and visibility-Institutional denial led to the development of distinctive practices of outreach and visibility as permanent role components, requiring workers to prove population existence while delivering services; (3) Knowledge translation and brokering-The lack of professional LGBT knowledge transformed workers into institutional knowledge authorities and inter-system coordinators, creating new professional discourse across municipal departments; and (4) Structural factors-Client quota systems, part-time allocations, and confidentiality requirements actively shaped role boundaries and functions. The study revealed that professional roles for marginalized populations develop through practice-driven processes operating across three interconnected dimensions: Role Genesis, System Transformation, and Practice under existential role threat. These dimensions operate simultaneously, compelling workers to construct roles while educating systems and defending their existence. The findings demonstrate that structured ambiguity, combined with outreach and visibility work and knowledge brokering, can enable comprehensive institutional innovation. The Israeli model offers insights for developing responsive services for marginalized communities within mainstream welfare systems. The findings inform policy guidance for creating specialized professional roles serving excluded populations in other national contexts.