Support Community
A supportive community is a housing framework that allows one to feel a sense of belonging and that they are in a safe and inclusive space during the rehabilitation process. The setting is suitable for relatively independent and functioning individuals who still experience functional and/or mental difficulties and therefore require a shared living setting.
The community consists of residential apartments located near each other, in addition to a main building that is located nearby (up to one kilometer from the apartments), which serves as the official meeting and gathering place for the community. The main building also houses staff offices, a dining room, a main living room, and several living rooms for residents undergoing rehabilitation who need greater assistance.
Each apartment generally houses between 2 and 5 people. Usually, but not always, each resident is assigned their own private room, and there are shared areas such as a kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. This arrangement balances the need for privacy with a sense of belonging in a social community.
There are two types of supportive communities:
The supportive community is home to individuals undergoing rehabilitation who face similar circumstances and therefore feel comfortable sharing experiences, feelings, and difficulties, without hiding their feelings (as would be the case in other communities) and without fear of judgment.
Residents in supportive communities testify that there will always be someone int he community who will listen and advise, understand and accommodate. The individual could be a member of the professional staff that supervises the community, or a resident of the community who is experiencing similar things and is sharing the common journey. All of these helps create a safe and supportive space for personal and social development and for optimally coping with mental health challenges.
Values of the supportive community
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Independence -
societal involvement -
self-development -
meaningful social relationships
- Independence: The community team encourages residents to be independent, choose freely, recognize their abilities, take responsibility for their lives and establish meaningful relationships. To implement these values and goals, community members are given the opportunity to actively participate in the ongoing conduct and contribute their skills, thereby influencing the character of the community. Some even cook their own food and wash their own clothes.
- Societal involvement: The community encourages residents to integrate into the broader community, resulting in most of them working outside the community, which provides them with social encounters and allows them to expand their social circle.
- Self-development: The community is a platform where residents can realize personal potential and recover from a mental health crisis. A supportive community encourages creativity and innovation, with the goal of discovering new ways to deal with mental health challenges. In the community, people receive tools to deal with these challenges, manage emotions, build social support networks and improve their ability to cope healthily with various mental health disorders.
- Meaningful social relationships: An integral part of the supportive community is the network of social relationships that are formed within it, meaningful connections that give residents a sense of belonging, family and continuous support. Residents participate in social activities that aim to enrich the community experience and strengthen the sense of personal security. These activities, which generally take place in the afternoons, include personal development classes, sports, birthday celebrations, field trips, etc. Recreational activities and their frequency vary from one community to another.
Supervision in the supportive community
Many people who experience a mental health crisis are able to function independently but need support and assistance when daily difficulties arise. The supportive community allows them to maintain their independence by living in an apartment in the community, on the one hand, while receiving intensive support and 24-hour staff availability, similar to a hostel, on the other.
The Professional Staff
Each and every member of the community receives close support from two staff members: a professional social worker and a rehabilitation instructor, according to the individual plan created for them.
The multidisciplinary staff that supervises the community includes psychologists, lawyers, medical professionals, etc., each of whom can provide the medical and psychological support that is needed by residents and that is tailored to their individual challenges.
Important to remember
Important to remember
In each community, professional staff and instructors are available to supervise and guide you on rules of conduct, duties, and rights. If you have any doubts or need advice, you should contact them.
Rehabilitation program in the supportive community
After the residents enter the framework, an individual rehabilitation plan is created for each of them that addresses various aspects of employment, society and recreation, life skills, education, etc. The plan is created by the rehabilitation coordinator, with the full participation of the resident and based on personal needs, abilities, and preferences. This plan also gives space to the role and involvement of family members or other meaningful figures in the lives of residents in the rehabilitation process and in achieving their goals.
Periodically, and at least 3 times a year, the plan for each resident is evaluated, additional goals are set, and changes are made as necessary and according to personal goals.
Financing living in a supportive community
The Ministry of Health budgets the program based on the number of residents. Payment of residents is broken down into two sections:
- Rent: Generally, rehabilitation basket beneficiaries receive, in addition to the pension, rental assistance from the Ministry of Housing, which significantly lowers rent payments. In a supportive community, this amount is transferred by the residents themselves or directly by the Ministry of Housing, to the provider operating the hostel. The supplier completes the balance for the purposes of renting the apartment.
- Additional payments: residents pay up to an additional NIS 1,450 per month. Of this amount, NIS 250 is designated for maintenance and supplement of rent, and NIS 1,200 is managed by the community for food and current expenses. At the end of the month, every resident should have money left for personal needs, such as recreation.
Exercising eligibility
Questions and answers about the supportive community
Submitting the application
More information on how to submit the application can be viewed on the Government Services website.