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Social Clubs, Organizations, and Recreational Activities

Shira Bigon, Social worker and senior division manager, education, culture, and leisure, Ministry of Health
3 September 2025

Social life and leisure activities play a crucial role in the rehabilitation process of individuals with mental health challenges. Social and leisure services in the rehabilitation basket are an important tool in the rehabilitation and recovery process of individuals facing mental health challenges. These activities provide social support, encouragement, and opportunities to improve quality of life through various club models and leisure activities. These activities provide a chance to foster social connections, to enhance social skills, and to enjoy meaningful experiences.

Eligibility: To receive the service, you need approval from the Rehabilitation Basket Committee.

Provider selection: After receiving approval, you can select a service provider from a list of providers nationwide.

Types of services: Services include a variety of social activities, such as social clubs, participation in classes, community activities, and more.

Advantages of the service

  • Improving quality of life: The service helps reduce feelings of loneliness and promote recovery.
  • Developing social skills: This service provides an opportunity to practice communication and social interaction skills.
  • Community integration: This service encourages community integration and helps build a social support network.

Social life and leisure activities play a crucial role in your rehabilitation process and in building a balanced and healthy quality of life. Social connections provide everyone a sense of belonging, affection, and self-esteem. If you are facing mental health challenges, you may have experienced how loneliness can make the recovery process more challenging. Experience has shown that participating in support groups, social gatherings, or even connecting with a close friend can make a significant difference. The social and leisure services within the rehabilitation basket are designed to help you in these areas. These services aim to foster enjoyment, belonging, personal and social development, improved social skills, a healthy lifestyle, empowerment, and enrichment.

Selecting a social or leisure service from the options offered by service providers can help you experience varied areas and gain personal and interpersonal experiences in the social sphere.

Please note

Please note

All the leisure services are contingent upon ongoing psychiatric monitoring in the community and the participant’s full collaboration with professional teams.

Models of social and leisure services

The social and leisure center offers a variety of interpersonal experiences in the social sphere, emphasizing social skills and their manifestation in everyday life. The social club provides opportunities for new social connections and spontaneous conversations, allowing visitors to practice interpersonal communication skills through diverse activities in various areas. Activities include cooking, ceramics, art, gardening, and community engagement. Some service providers also offer specialized clubs focusing on specific topics such as sports, models for community inclusion, and social clubs tailored to cultural, gender, and age-specific characteristics.

The frequency of participation in the social club is several times a week. Participation levels are determined by the needs and goals of the service recipients. To be a member of the club, an individual must meet one condition: attending at least once a week.

The club offers a program promoting community integration and social independence through various social gatherings within your area of residence. The program is designed for individuals interested in enriching their social and leisure experiences and expanding their circle of social connections. The program includes various activities, such as parties, shows, films, sports events, trips, community volunteering, introductory meetings, and more.

The frequency of participation in the social club is several times a week. Participation levels are determined by the needs and goals of the service recipients. To be a member of the club, an individual must meet one condition: attending at least once a week.

The Ministry of Health is offering a financial participation grant through the Israel Association of Community Centers and other culture companies, for the integration in classes in community or sports centers throughout the country. This grant includes several basic criteria:

  • Active participation in a class or a leisure activity.
  • The club must be a part of a general social rehabilitation plan.
  • Funding is granted to those who cooperate with the professional staff.

Those who do not have a rehabilitation plan or who are uncooperative will not be eligible for this grant.

Several service providers offer this plan, with the “Amitim” plan of the Israel Association of Community Centers currently being the primary one. The plan aims to promote social, interpersonal mutual engagement between individuals with mental health challenges and their local community. Activities take place throughout the country.

The plan creates community integration opportunities through leisure activities, such as classes, cultural events, and volunteering activities, helping individuals with mental health challenges integrate into their local communities. Additionally, participants in the plan receive personalized support to help them rebuild their skills and social connections to promote recovery processes.

At the same time, this social change plan is implementing various measures to reduce the stigma around mental health and increase access to mental healthcare. These measures aim to remove barriers that people with mental health challenges face as they try to integrate into their community.

It is important to note: Participation in the “Independent Leisure" social club is according to the frequency of the chosen activities and individual meetings with the plan’s coordinator. However, attending at least once a month is mandatory.

Some leisure service providers offer online activities as part of a complete activity schedule. These meetings allow you to take part even if you cannot commit to all the activities.

Participation in online activities is part of the social rehabilitation plan, integrating physical and online meetings.

Some of the leisure service groups offer therapy-oriented groups such as CBT, DBT, and others. These groups emphasize group activities and providing tools for self-presentation to the world. Participants share their experiences, their challenges and uncertainties and receive guidance from the professional instructor and group mates on how to improve their responses and overall behavior in social situations.

It is important to note that these groups do not provide one-on-one support. This can be obtained in other places, such as the HMOs.

Please note

Please note

If you are experiencing difficulties with the service you have chosen or it is not working for you, it is advisable to contact your professional healthcare provider and consult them about alternative activities so that you can exercise your eligibility and achieve your goals.

How to exercise your eligibility for social and leisure activities

If you have a rehabilitation basket

If you have an approved rehabilitation basket but are not currently eligible for social and leisure activities, consult with your healthcare service provider to request this necessary service as part of the rehabilitation basket.

Your assigned professional will refer you to the Rehabilitation Basket Committee, which will determine your eligibility.

If you do not have a rehabilitation basket

If you have not applied for a rehabilitation basket, either independently or with assistance, please read the information here on how to submit an application to the rehabilitation basket.

Be sure to explain why you need social and leisure services. After submitting the application, you will be invited to a first meeting with the rehabilitation basket committee that will determine your eligibility for various rehabilitation services. At this committee meeting, you can specifically request social and leisure services, explain your request, and emphasize why they are important for you.

Important facts about eligibility approval

  • Everyone can receive up to two leisure frameworks.
  • The approval of the rehabilitation basket committee is valid for six months. If you wish to continue the service, for example, to participate in a class or a social group, your service provider will take care of extending your approval.
  • The overall duration of the period in which a service may be obtained is individual and determined according to your rehabilitation plan.

What does the service provider do

  • Personalized plan: The service provider will build you a social plan consisting of personalized goals and targets, based on your needs and wishes, to help you live a fuller and more independent life.
  • Social and sports activities: In addition to social gatherings, there are also leisure centers that hold parties and activities around holidays and various events, at different times. In these events you will have the opportunity to meet new people, in addition to the enjoyment of the events themselves. The new social connections created in the activities and groups are significant, and they promote recovery and community integration.
  • Volunteering: Some activities involve community volunteering, helping both yourself and others.
  • Future help: Following the completion of your various activities in the classes and groups, your service provider will help you in further integrating into society. The service provider's professional staff will help you develop the next steps that include, for example, connecting you to your community through various means at their disposal. These steps are intended to provide you with the opportunity to continue and enjoy your social and leisure life, even after the service period ends, when you will no longer have the support and assistance of the professional service providers.

Choosing a service provider

After your eligibility is approved, you can choose the service provider for your social and leisure services. Applicants or their caregivers can contact more than one service provider. The list of service providers is organized by regions and includes activities classified by gender, language, and the type of social service you're interested in (e.g., classes or groups).

It is recommended to select a service in your area of residence, go to the service provider’s website, and call to arrange a time when you can come to see the activities they offer. Usually, it is possible to come to one meeting without any obligation. Next, you will need to complete a formal intake procedure with the provider's professional staff, who will match you with the appropriate activities and professional support services.

When contacting a service provider, present the eligibility approval you received from the rehabilitation basket committee.

Rehabilitation Basket Services

Housing

Education

Assistance Acquiring Basic Equipment for Living

Dental Treatment for People in Recovery

Leisure time

Mentoring

Household Help

Treatment Coordination