Sheba Medical Center has launched a national network for treating victims of psychological trauma in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Defense, the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization, and the Friends of the IDF (FIDF) in Israel. This initiative ensures that Sheba’s treatment services reach Beit Halochem facilities directly. The centers offer psychological and psychiatric treatment through a team of trauma specialists in the field of mental health, aiming to help patients and their families return to life and regain optimal functionality.
The new centers in Haifa and Nahariya are part of a national network of centers that will operate at Beit Halochem facilities in Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, and Nahariya. They will provide professional and focused care for all security forces personnel and their families in need of psychological assistance, as well as for those recognized under the "One Soul" reform.
These new centers represent a direct continuation of the rehabilitation process led by Sheba Medical Center, where the majority of IDF soldiers wounded in the "Iron Swords" war have been treated.
This initiative involved the extensive recruitment of hundreds of certified therapists who underwent specialized trauma-focused training and will receive professional guidance and mentoring from Sheba’s leading trauma experts. As a result, Sheba Medical Center’s treatment standards are being extended to wide areas across the country, particularly in the south and north—regions that have been significantly impacted by months of active combat. Additionally, the centers will offer remote therapy through Sheba’s virtual hospital, Sheba BEYOND, further expanding access to mental health services.
Attorney Edan Kleiman, Chairman of the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization, stated: "The IDF Disabled Veterans Organization has supported tens of thousands of heroes over the years who have sacrificed their bodies and minds for the security of the country and its citizens across the organization’s five districts and four Beit Halochem centers nationwide. We provide top-tier physical rehabilitation as well as pioneering and unique psychological rehabilitation in the field of post-trauma. This joint initiative with Sheba Medical Center and the Ministry of Defense, supported by the FIDF, is opening our Beit Halochem facilities for the first time to dedicated clinics that will assist our heroes suffering from post-trauma on their path back to full lives as active and contributing citizens in Israeli society."
Alon Even, Director of the Friends of the IDF (FIDF) in Israel, stated: "We are proud to inaugurate the national trauma treatment center in Haifa and Nahariya—an initiative that highlights our commitment to supporting IDF soldiers and their families. The Friends of the IDF (FIDF) organization is honored to be a partner in this project, especially following a challenging year of combat that underscored the critical need for professional and advanced treatment for wounded IDF soldiers in general, and trauma victims in particular."
Professor Amital Ziv, Director of the Integrated Rehabilitation Hospital at Sheba, stated: "The field of mental health and coping with trauma and post-trauma is a national challenge following the ‘Iron Swords’ war. The significant collaboration between Sheba, the Ministry of Defense, the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization, and the Friends of the IDF (FIDF) will serve as a force multiplier and ensure treatment for both northern residents and on a national scale, aiming to reshape the landscape of mental health care in Israel. This is a shared national mission and responsibility. We have a duty to provide the best psychological care for those who have sacrificed their bodies and minds this past year for Israeli society, to strengthen their mental resilience, and to bring them and their families back to life. All this is based on Sheba’s extensive experience accumulated over many years."