The Dror Project

In the last months, Israel has been experiencing one of the hardest, most complicated periods in its history. During the first days of war, hundreds of thousands of military reservists have been recruited. They have been fighting for long months within several fronts, in hard, grueling warfare, far from their homes. The reservists are experiencing, some for the first time in their life, the sights of war. And they feel for the first time the stress and fear of losing their lives. Some also witness their friends being killed or badly injured. During the last weeks, the same soldiers are returning from the battlefield into the post war reality. Some of them are coming back with physical scars and pains, which are easily discerned, but many are returning with mental pains and anguishes. The trauma of the military experience – while being hidden from plain sight – has a therapeutic urgency no less significant than that of the physical maladies. During these days, thousands are experiencing the military trauma and are in need of proper therapeutic response. Without the appropriate and broad treatment, the condition of those suffering from trauma might worsen, and they may struggle to return to engage in a normal way of life. The "Dror" Project was created for those soldiers who are now returning from the battlefield who are suffering military based trauma, and wish to enter an intensive rehabilitation process. We see this as a social commitment to apply our efforts during the last decades towards benefiting those who have risked their lives for the Israeli society in one of its most difficult hours, and are now in need of an immediate, effective response. The "Dror" Project will offer those Israelis who are coping with trauma since the 7th of October, a steady, professional, and dynamic structure for receiving quality treatment. The project will make accessible for the rehabilitated a wide and intensive array of treatments, along with a professional followup and a personal connection. The project is intended to provide these heroes with the tools and support they need in order to return and stabilize their lives. This is an extensive rehabilitation program which allows its participants to return to function in various aspects of their lives, to take care of themselves independently, to develop inter-personal relations, to function at work, and more. All this, in tandem with coping with the trauma as a part of living and not so it "runs" their lives. The initial stage includes joining the program, as well as training for routine activities, such as getting out of the house, finding employment, etc. The second stage includes working on fundamental functions, such as finding work, cooking and managing oneself, tending to and handling paperwork, and more. In addition, we will work to create meaningful inter-personal connections, to understand the realms of responsibility within the shared apartment, and to help adjusting to independence. All these will be carried out with the moderate guidance of the staff members. At the end of the program, we aspire that the participants will be in charge of their own lives, and would create their own complete daily schedule, would study and practice maintaining an independent life by taking their part in the world. At this stage, it is mandatory for all of the rehabilitated participants to have employment. In case of termination of employment, the participant must find employment within a short time in order to to maintain a grounding structure.