Ashkelon’s Occupational and Creative Framework for Adults with Emotional Disabilities

Our occupation is a significant part of our personal and social identity.  Among other things, it often defines our relative value, contribution and importance to society. Work is a source of satisfaction and self-worth and contributes to our feelings of belonging and quality of life. People with emotional disabilities are often rejected from the workforce, and returning to work is a powerful tool for rehabilitation and integration into the normative community.

In recent years rehabilitative, occupational frameworks for people with mental illness have flourished, enabling disabled adults to enter a variety of challenging and interesting positions.  Gvanim Association has developed a network of innovative rehabilitative services in the Ashkelon area comparable to services offered anywhere in Israel or the world.  Many of the frameworks include business initiatives within the normative community, and they provide welcome and needed income to the program participants while opening new vistas regarding products and crafts they can produce.

Gvanim’s Ashkelon Center provides a unique environment where mentally ill adults can learn, develop and reach their full potential.  The Center’s occupational frameworks provide not only on-the-job training and experience but also help participants acquire skills needed to succeed in their personal lives.  Each workshop is run as a business, and everyone is encouraged to take part in management and decision-making.  

Workshop participants create and produce crafts for which they receive the sales profits.  Products are sold at fairs, from the workshop and through one of Israel’s major department store chains, Home Center.   The Ashkelon Center also markets its crafts through its internet store, “Keliim Shluvim.”

Ashkelon Center frameworks are open to all adults with emotional disabilities living in the area between Sderot and Yavne.  Currently, about 300 people participate in four programs offered by the center:

• The Work Club – acquiring and nurturing the most basic of occupational skills. 
• Protected Factory  - arts and crafts workshops for participants who are not yet able to work in positions outside the Center. Here they gain the skills and experience that will enable them to integrate into the mainstream work environment.
• Café Galeria  – participants operate a coffee shop and art gallery in the Barnea Community Center of Ashkelon which serves the normative community. Coffee, cake and light meals are available and the coffee shop hosts business groups and cultural events.  Crafts from the Protected Factory are shown and sold in the gallery.  Program participants lead workshops for the normative population.
• Supported Employment – places program participants in appropriate positions in the business community, particularly participants who had formerly held jobs but lost them due to their illness.  The program staff supports participants as they find jobs, negotiate employment conditions and advance in their occupation.

  All programs are under the auspices and regulation of the Ministry of Health.

   

  Gvanim thanks its Program Partners:  Ministry of Health, the Municipality of Ashkelon, the National Insurance Institute, Fishman Group