Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, also known as Ichilov, and the Lema'anchem medical assistance organization will establish a new early-intervention trauma center offering free mental health treatment to IDF reservists, members of the security forces, and their families, the organizations announced this week.
The initiative comes as Israel faces a growing mental health burden following the October 7 massacre and the ensuing war.
Some 26,200 IDF soldiers and security personnel wounded during the war have sought treatment through the Defense Ministry’s Rehabilitation Department, according to figures published in July. About 65% are receiving treatment for psychological distress, including post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and adjustment difficulties.
The new center is intended to reach people during the early stages of trauma, before symptoms become entrenched or develop into long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
It will expand the work of Ichilov’s Assif Center for Trauma and Post-Trauma Care, which was established following October 7 to treat trauma-related disorders and PTSD.
New initiative to help families of reservists
A significant part of the new initiative will focus on relatives of reservists and security personnel, including spouses, parents, siblings and children.
Ichilov has described these family members as the war’s “invisible wounded” – people who may not have been directly exposed to combat but whose lives have been deeply affected by the trauma experienced by a loved one.
Family members may find themselves dealing with behavioral changes, anxiety, withdrawal, outbursts or difficulty returning to ordinary life while simultaneously trying to support the person who was directly affected.
“Trauma does not stop with the individual, but sends ripples through the family and close circles, who often become the ‘invisible wounded’ and fall between the cracks,” Ichilov CEO Prof. Eli Sprecher said.
Sprecher said one of the lessons learned since October 7 was that hospitals could not simply wait for people suffering from trauma to seek treatment.
“In an event of national trauma on such a large scale, it is not enough to be an excellent hospital and wait for patients to come to us,” he said. “It is our duty to go out into the community and make assistance accessible to the public close to where they are.”
The partnership, he said, would bring the expertise developed at the Assif Center directly into the community and provide professional mental health treatment “without cost and without bureaucratic barriers.”
Short-term treatment, rapid assessment
The center will operate from Lema'anchem’s offices and will be professionally managed by the Assif Center’s team.
Clinical psychologists and clinical social workers will provide focused, short-term therapy, alongside a professional assessment system intended to get patients into treatment quickly after they seek assistance.
Patients found to require more complex or longer-term care will be referred for continued treatment through Ichilov, creating a pathway from initial intervention to more intensive care when necessary.
Yossi Erblich, founder and chairman of Lema'anchem, said the organization had encountered a growing need for immediate mental health assistance since the outbreak of the war.
“From the beginning of the war, we have been exposed every day to the need for an initial response,” Erblich said. “The cooperation with Ichilov and the Assif Center will provide professional mental health assistance to reservists, security personnel and their families, to whom we all owe so much.”
“Early intervention saves lives, strengthens mental resilience and makes it possible to confront trauma in its initial stages before it develops and intensifies,” he added.
Lema'anchem provides free medical consultation, guidance and assistance to patients and families, working with a network of senior physicians and specialists.
The agreement was signed at a ceremony attended by senior figures from Ichilov, Lema'anchem and the IDF mental health system.
The project reflects a broader challenge facing Israel nearly three years after October 7: providing care for the tens of thousands already suffering from the psychological effects of the war while identifying those at risk early enough to prevent trauma from becoming a chronic condition.