Improving Communication in the Family
Hundreds of people participated in the annual seminar hosted by Ezer Mizion’s M
ental Health Family Support Center. The seminar this year focused on dilemmas and pathways to recovery. In attendance were professionals in the field as well as parents and other family members of people with mental illness. Leading representatives from the Health Ministry honored the occasion with their presence and highly praised the initiative. Among the public figures who offered their greetings were: Rabbi Chollak, International Chairman of Ezer Mizion, Dr. Rothschild, President and Founder of the Maayanei Hayeshuah Medical Center and Director of the Marbeh Daat Clinics, and Rabbi Lieder, Director-General of the Medical Center. The finest lecturers in the field presented their personal clinical viewpoints and the latest innovations in the field. The speakers included Professor Yisrael Strauss, Dr. Baruch Shulam, and a respected panel chaired by Dr. Charness, with the participation of Dr. Uzi Shai, Professor Weizman, Dr. Sankovitz and Dr. Bunzel.
The Family Support Center, a service of Ezer Mizion’s Mental Health Division, serves families struggling with dilemmas and challenges in the field of mental health.
The Center provides a response for families dealing with a family member’s mental health issues. As is well known, mental illness affects not only the one suffering from it directly, but also his family members. 
At the same time, the behavior of family members and their ability to cope with the difficult situation impact the patient’s ability to resume functioning and perhaps even to achieve recovery.
Very often, the patient’s relatives do not know where to turn to for help, and as a result, the patient only obtains the necessary therapy after a significant delay. In addition, many families are unaware that there is someone they can approach to present all their questions and doubts: “What happened to…?” “What can I do to alleviate his difficulty…?”
At the Center, they can get a clear picture of whether a serious problem exists or the situation is a passing phase. They can obtain information about their loved one’s problem and its ramifications and the available services and therapy options, receive assistance in actualizing their entitlements, and benefit from coping tools and emotional support for all member of the family.
Every family is eligible for a number of private counseling and guidance sessions, individual meetings with professionals, and participation in support groups and workshops – all free of charge – at Ezer Mizion’s Family Support Center. In addition, the Center organizes lectures, workshops and seminars throughout the year, with the goal of providing information about mental problems and the latest solution options.
Ezer Mizion’s annual mental health conference took place, with the collaboration of the Bnei Brak Municipality and Maayanei Hayeshua Medical Center. 
Top lecturers in the field spoke at the event, and a musical interlude was provided by “Sounds of the Soul,” the musical ensemble of Ezer Mizion’s Musical Arts Center. This new musical project, the only one of its kind, under the direction of the musician Benny Schwartz, is geared for musicians, singers, sound staff, composers, and songwriters who are eligible for the mental health rehabilitation services package.
This conference, in line with previous similar events, registered large-scale participation and endowed the attendees with new insights to help them cope with mental illness in the community and in the family.
