-
20 March 2024
The sharp rise in the need for trauma services quickly overwhelmed the Israeli mental health system after October 7th. Support from Greater Washington is directly expanding services to help those in need, making a positive difference in the lives of so many Israelis.
SafeHeart, an organization that emerged from the October 7th terror attack with a mission to connect survivors with licensed and certified mental health professionals to prevent the long-term debilitating impact of PTSD. SafeHeart is an official member of the “Israeli Coalition for Trauma” and a national Resilience Center and is recognized by the Israeli Ministry of Health and the National Social Security Service partner in providing mental health support to the Oct. 7th Re’im Rave Massacre survivors.
“Imagine that after an intense experience of three consecutive days of dancing and togetherness, at the climax of a peaceful music festival at sunrise, a moment of elation and celebration the most horrific and barbaric acts occurred. The people who were there found themselves thrust into a spiritual crisis. Many found themselves losing faith in the world, asking how in the world could something like this happen? Why did this happen to me?” — Shiran Maor, Chairman of SafeHeart
To help, SafeHeart offers retreats and group meetings to facilitate group processing with other survivors. Your support is currently helping to provide 26 weekly individualized therapy sessions for Nova Festival survivors. SafeHeart is also working to connect survivors with certified mental health professionals with an understanding of treating trauma of the significance and nature of that experienced at the Nova festival.
In addition to survivors, SafeHeart is helping the families of the survivors who are experiencing significant difficulty themselves. Out of fear for the development of secondary trauma, SafeHeart established a support system for the survivors’ immediate family members who are looking for advice and support and guidance. SafeHeart created a community that gives space for community discussion, mutual support, and a place to receive professional answers and guidance, as well as dedicated group therapy for family members.
In addition to SafeHeart, support from Greater Washington is providing:
- State-of-the-art training to increase Israel’s capacity for trauma and mental health care.
- Mental health services for survivors of sexual violence.
- IDF soldiers with assistance to overcome combat-related trauma.
- Much needed financial assistance to displaced families and those seeking respite from violence.
- And much more.