Herzog Medical Center’s Mental Health Clinic for Young Adults at Risk helps young adults, aged 18 – 25, who have a heightened risk to develop mental illness or who are already suffering from existing disorders. Since the War, young adults have inundated the clinic many of who survived the attack at the Nova music festival with thousands more waiting for treatment. These youth witnessed the murder, rape, mutilation and abduction of their friends. Their trauma has exacerbated their underlying conditions leaving them suffering from severe depression and anxiety. The clinic helps young adults by counselling them during times of stress where its dedicated team of psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff and social workers provide them with a safe and secure atmosphere. The clinic is a walk-in clinic which provides both individual and group counselling and refers serious cases for further hospitalization.
While the Clinic has saved more than 300 young adults, it needs to recruit more staff to be able to accommodate the expected growth in need of the thousands of young adults who are waiting to receive assistance.
Impact of Treatment – Medical Team Perspectives:
Young people come to us suffering from a wide range of difficulties, for example: various mental disorders – from depression and anxiety, to obsessive compulsive disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders and more. Our team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff and social workers. The approach in the clinic is comprehensive. The staff provide assistance from a variety of situations and complex cases, including medication, employment, education and housing.
Dr. Bitya Friedman, psychiatrist and medical director of the clinic
