CHIEFS OF STAFF’S SPEECH CAMPAIGN
OF VETERANS SUFFERING FROM PTSD DON'T SEEK HELP
ARE STILL WAITING FOR RECOGNITION BY THE MOD
REQUESTS FOR PTSD RECOGNITION IS APPROVED BY THE MOD
WHO ARE WE?
Shomer Achi’ is a non-profit organisation that provides discreet and free psychological assistance to IDF veterans who are on the spectrum of post-trauma and yet, are not diagnosed and treated by the Ministry of Defence due to an array of reasons spanning from suppression of their situation, shame, and fear of asking for help, or difficulty facing the long bureaucratic procedures.
WHY ARE WE NEEDED?
Unfortunately, in Israeli society, particularly among combat soldiers, asking for help is still considered taboo. Thus, the need for mental support is preserved as a weakness, significantly affecting post-trauma victims' ability to seek treatment. In addition, public exposure in front
of a community and a permanent stane on personal service record alongside the long, tedious, and insensitive bureaucratic processes one must go through to be recognised as a post-trauma victim by the Ministry of Defence are inhibiting.
HOW DO WE DO IT?
‘Shomer Achi’ non-profit has a different approach to providing psychological support to IDF veterans, which stems from a genuine attempt to make the process of receiving treatment accessible and simple in every way possible to help IDF veterans overcome the barriers and take the first step in self-care.
INITIATIVE
We publicise our services through informal platforms, such as Facebook, WhatsApp groups and commanders in reserves, we enable those who are need for our services to reach us without any mediators.
DISCRETION
To neutralise the fear of stigma and exposure, we conduct ourselves discreetly, assuring the complete privacy of those receiving our help. Those seeking help are not required to identify themselves, register
as veterans, or be exposed in any way. In addition, during treatment,
no status reports or updates are collected about the veterans.
FREE TREATMENT
While receiving treatment through private sources is possible, it is
often not a financially viable option. To ease the financial burden and ensure that it is not the reason to delay starting their recovery process, we provide any IDF veteran who asks for help with 12 therapy sessions free of charge.
APPROPRIATE THERAPISTS
Every IDF veteran who contacts us is referred to our lead therapist.
Based on their initial meeting and evaluation, the lead therapist matches the veteran with a quality therapist in close geographic proximity to their residence. All the non-profit therapists are veterans themselves, most in combat units. They are experienced in treating PTSD and specialise in short-term treatment focused on post-trauma and optimal integration into civilian life.
LEGITIMACY
We believe that hearing from your personal commander in the army
that “asking for help does not mean weakness” carries gravitas.
That is why we are in constant contact with commanders and former commanders, who pass on the information about the non-profit to
their soldiers and recommend that they seek help if necessary.
FOUNDER & CEO
I have taken on this cause because, like many other
veterans, my army experience as a Company Commander,
invaluable as it was, made the transition to civilian life challenging.
Often the Army experience trains soldiers to give orders and
focus exclusively on implementing the task at hand.
The idea of considering someone else’s feelings,
engaging in a reciprocal conversation, and negotiating is a
foreign concept. In more severe cases, veterans struggle with
various degrees of PTSD. The inability to effectively engage
with society (work, family, friends, etc.) often leads to
frustration and a sense of isolation and alienation,
resulting in difficulties integrating into civilian life.
"With Guardian Brother's creation, I hope to remedy this problem".
Yaakov Smith, Adv, Lieutenant colonel in Reserves, Founder Guardian Brother.
