Everything That Can Help

14 June 2026

"Everything That Can Help" is a large-scale audiovisual project by Mr. Assi Azar in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, joined by Mr. Avi Ohayon and Mr. Matan Dror. It is designed to raise awareness of mental health, make information and practical tools more accessible to the public, and encourage an open, inclusive, and non-judgmental discussion about coping with mental distress and stress—one of the most common and significant mental health challenges of our time.

In recent years, the Ministry of Health has identified a significant increase in coping with emotional overload, stress, anxiety, and feelings of uncertainty, alongside a growing need to mobilize mental strength and resources for coping and readjustment after a series of crises that have affected us as people, families, communities, and as a country.
The collaboration with Mr. Assi Azar was born out of a desire to create an accessible, human, and non-judgmental conversation about mental health coping, and to encourage reaching out for help and support when needed.

  Podcast Episodes Songs
Episode 1 Anxiety – Assi talks with Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, child and adolescent psychiatrist and head of the Mental Health Division at the Ministry of Health

Itay Levy – What's Hard to Say

Itay Levy - What's Hard to Say

Episode 2

Relationships – Assi talks with Dafna and Ron Eshel, a physician couple from Ichilov, about managing family life and relationships during war and emergencies

Roni Dalumi - My Love

Roni Dalumi - My Love

Episode 3

Parenting and Parental Responsibility – Assi talks with Uli Schneider, a clinical psychologist from Maccabi Healthcare Services

Nasrin - Good Night

Nasrin Kadri - Good Night

Episode 4

Teen Resilience and the Challenges of Recent Years – Assi talks with teens and with Dr. Miriam Fink, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Ministry of Health

Will be published on 6/21/26

  

Episode 5

Suicide Prevention – Assi Azar talks with Yigal Suissa, whose son died by suicide, and with Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, child and adolescent psychiatrist and head of the Mental Health Division at the Ministry of Health

Will be published on 6/28/26

Ran Danker – I Couldn't Dance

Ran Danker - I Couldn't Dance

About two and a half years after the launch of “A Place for the Mind” — the national mental health program — the Ministry of Health presents an update on the progress of implementing the program, which was developed following the events of October 7 and the subsequent war, based on the understanding that its psychological consequences will accompany Israeli society for many years to come.

The program, which was allocated a budget of more than 1.4 billion shekels, the largest ever allocated to mental health in Israel, is intended to strengthen and expand the public mental health system, while creating a broad continuum of services and adapting care to patient needs. At the center of the initiative are expanding public services, increasing the number of therapists, developing new services, and implementing advanced models for treatment management and referral.

The program included the allocation of approximately 600 million shekels to health maintenance organizations (HMOs) aimed at expanding core services, with phased implementation: in 2024, 300 million shekels were allocated, and in 2025 the support budget for HMOs was implemented almost in full, totaling close to 600 million (an additional 300 million).

Since the program began, mental health services in the community have been significantly expanded within HMOs, hospitals, resilience centers, rehabilitation frameworks, and emergency and support services, alongside strengthening the workforce and expanding services to the public across the country.

Since October 7, the Ministry of Health has also supported professional mental health services through public information and outreach activities aimed at helping people cope with anxiety, trauma, uncertainty, and ongoing stress, and encouraging people to seek help when needed.

During this period, the ministry launched public campaigns targeting the general population and parents, informational videos featuring mental health professionals, content in multiple languages including Arabic, Russian, and Amharic, as well as tailored publications for different populations, including the Haredi community and Ethiopian Israelis.

Among the initiatives implemented were campaigns for coping with emergency situations and anxiety, a MASHA (MAASHE) model video featuring Eran Ze’evi, digital videos featuring Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer and other professionals, a suicide prevention campaign targeting men, collaboration with an Ethiopian television channel, publications in Haredi media outlets, and digital content across Ministry of Health platforms.

As part of this ongoing effort, the “Everything That Helps” project is now being launched — an audiovisual project in collaboration with Assi Azar, Avi Ohayon, and Matan Dror, aimed at raising awareness of mental health, making information and practical tools more accessible, and encouraging open dialogue about anxiety and coping. At the center of the project are four original musical works on the topic of anxiety, written and composed by Assi Azar and Avi Ohayon, and performed by Itay Levi, Nasrin Kadri, Roni Dalumi, and Ran Danker.

Alongside the musical works, the project also includes a series of podcasts and digital content addressing topics such as coping with anxiety, parenting young children during challenging times, relationships and reserve military service, the challenges faced by teenagers, and the issue of suicide. The podcast series opens with the Head of the Mental Health Administration at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Gilad Bodenheimer, in a conversation with Assi Azar about anxiety, disruption of routine, loss of control, and ways to cope with the current reality. Each episode will feature leading professionals and public figures in the field, in honest, in-depth, and emotional conversations.

Over the past three years, the total investment in public outreach in the field of mental health has amounted to approximately 10 million shekels.

General questions about mental health and available services and support options

Mental distress can arise in response to a life crisis, an acute mental health episode, or sometimes without a clear reason.

Coping with distress depends on its intensity, a person’s ability to mobilize internal strengths, available support systems, and the capacity to make changes, adapt, and contain the experience.

When the difficulty becomes too great to manage emotionally and there is a significant decline in functioning, it is recommended to seek consultation or professional treatment.

In an emergency situation or when there is serious risk, immediate referral to an emergency department is necessary.

Additional information and tools for psychological first aid:

You can receive mental health treatment through your health maintenance organization (HMO) by contacting your family doctor, HMO mental health clinics, or the HMO service and appointment centers.

Most HMOs also offer online treatment, telephone counseling services, and dedicated support for crisis situations. You can contact your HMO appointment center to get information about available options, waiting times, and how to schedule an appointment.

In cases of psychological distress related to a security or emergency situation, you can also contact resilience centers.

Additional information and tools for psychological first aid:

Most health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and mental health services also offer treatment through digital and technological platforms, including online therapy via video chat or telephone calls, depending on the need and service availability.

It is recommended to check with your HMO or its service centers to learn what options are available to you.

More on this topic:

Mental health treatment using digital and technological tools

Technologies and aids for mental health treatment

Suicide attempts can be prevented when appropriate help is received.

If there is concern about suicide risk, there are several steps that can be taken:

  1. Ask the person directly: For example: “You said that there is no point in living anymore and that you want to end it—are you having thoughts about suicide?” This may feel difficult to say, but it is important to emphasize: it does not put ideas into someone’s head, but rather allows for open conversation, hope, and access to help.
  2. Provide hope: In many cases, presence, showing interest, and creating a caring human connection can restore hope and help with coping. You can say: “I hear that things are very hard right now and that you don’t see another solution at the moment. Even if it doesn’t feel that way now, there is a way to get help and feel better.”
  3. Supervision: When there is concern about suicide risk, it is necessary to stay with the person and prevent access to lethal means, such as medications or weapons in the home.
  4. Help coordinate care: In these situations, the person may lack the strength or hope to seek help alone, so support and accompaniment in accessing care are very important.

Additional important guidance:

  • In cases of immediate danger where the person cannot be stopped or persuaded to go to a hospital, contact the police.
  • In cases of serious physical harm, call emergency medical services.
  • If there is immediate risk, go directly to an emergency department.
  • For consultation and arranging care, contact a family doctor or pediatrician, or mental health support hotlines.

What is suicide and how it manifests

Early identification and treatment of suicide risk

A person experiencing an acute (severe) mental health crisis with high-intensity symptoms requires intensive, multidisciplinary mental health care.

In these situations, it is recommended to consult a mental health professional. If one is not available, contact a family doctor or pediatrician to determine the most appropriate care setting.

In general, in order to preserve psychological, functional, social, and occupational continuity, it is preferable—when possible—to provide care in the community setting, through balanced homes or psychiatric day treatment, psychiatric home hospitalization, and crisis teams, which allow a person to receive treatment while remaining at home, supported by family and friends. However, this is not always possible.

In cases where a person poses a risk to themselves or others, or when continuous 24-hour medical supervision is required, hospitalization in a psychiatric ward in a hospital is necessary. It is important to note that psychiatric hospitalization has evolved in recent years and includes innovative models, such as Soteria-style hospitalization units, which operate within hospitals and are based on the “balanced home” model.

Due to the sharp increase in demand for mental health services since the start of the war, the Ministry of Health is aware that in some regions and care settings there are still significant system pressures and long waiting times.

Since October 7, the Ministry of Health has been leading a national mental health program called “A Place for the Mind,” aimed at significantly expanding services, recruiting new therapists, opening treatment frameworks using advanced models, and working with health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to shorten waiting times and increase service availability for the public.

Alongside the expansion of clinics, HMOs have significantly broadened the “entry points” to mental health care, as well as intensive services designed to prevent hospitalization. Today, support can be accessed through a family doctor or pediatrician trained in mental health, through mental health support staff or resilience coaches, and through HMO support centers for consultation and guidance.

What is available?

Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) offer a wide range of services that can help when personalized care is needed.

If the reason for seeking care is related to a security-related event, resilience centers can also be contacted. In cases of severe mental health crises requiring intensive care, it is possible to contact a treating professional or a family doctor for assessment and consideration of the need for a balanced home, psychiatric day treatment, psychiatric home hospitalization, or crisis teams, or a referral to psychiatric hospitalization in a hospital.

In cases of immediate distress, contact emergency medical services, an emergency department, or mental health crisis hotlines.

For more information:

Hotlines for psychological first aid

Mental health treatment services

Resilience centers in routine and emergency situations