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Inpatient Rehab

Dr. Paula Rosca, Director of the Department of Substance Use Disorder Treatments, Ministry of Health;  Nir Sha'ar, Director of Addiction Treatment Frameworks, Ministry of Health
28 January 2026

Inpatient rehab centers are the first stop in addiction treatment, and they provide safe physical detoxification under medical supervision, in a setting that includes overnight stays. This is the first stage in the journey of recovery – safe physical detoxification under medical supervision, alongside emotional support and therapeutic accompaniment. Each inpatient center is staffed by a multidisciplinary team that includes a narcologist (a doctor who specializes in treating addictions to psychoactive substances), a nursing team, clean instructors, social workers, and complementary therapists.

The inpatient centers operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and are intended for men and women from all over the country. There are also dedicated inpatient centers for different populations: Youth, women, the religious community, and patients with dual or triple morbidity.

The duration of hospitalization varies by age: Up to 3 weeks for adults and 3 months for youth. The youth inpatient centers also have a school that allows students to continue their studies and even take the matriculation exams.

Referral to an inpatient center: You can apply independently, through the local welfare department, your primary physician or other medical frameworks.

Cost: Treatment in public frameworks is provided free of charge and is included in the health basket. The frameworks operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

Important to note: Physical detoxification without continued treatment is not enough. To prevent relapse and strengthen the rehabilitation process, it is important to continue community treatment immediately after discharge.

Inpatient units are medical units that specialize in detoxification from drugs or other psychoactive substances in a residential setting with accommodation. Inpatient units are the first stop in the rehab process and in the overall therapeutic journey. The main goal of inpatient units is to enable safe physical detoxification and provide a therapeutic environment: Intake is rapid in cases of addicts who need urgent treatment, and the team accompanies them throughout the rehab stages and directs them to follow-up frameworks in the community.

The professional team

A multidisciplinary professional team operates in each inpatient unit, providing medical, emotional and supportive care:

  • Medical staff: Doctors and narcologists, with knowledge and skills in treating addictions, and a nursing team trained in treating addicts, who are responsible for distributing medication.
  • Clean instructors: Women and men who are addicts who have undergone successful rehab processes and have abstained from substances for years. After the long period of abstinence, they undergo professional training and serve as instructors who provide inspiration and support based on personal experience and serve as role models for patients.
  • Social workers: Accompany the initial treatment process, prepare the patient for the transition to follow-up settings, maintain contact with family members and mediate between the family and the medical team.
  • Clinical pharmacists: Are responsible for regulating the medication inventory.
  • Complementary therapists: Sometimes include therapists in expressive and creative therapy, art, music, psychodrama, occupational therapy, yoga and mindfulness, who help to get through the rehab process in the best possible way.

Choosing the right inpatient framework

Inpatient rehab centers operate under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and are intended for men and women from all over the country. Each person can choose the center in which they would like to recover, depending on the availability of spots. There are designated centers that are adapted to specific populations: For youth, women, the religious public, as well as frameworks for dual morbidity (mental and addictive) and triple morbidity (mental, addictive and physical).

Youth frameworks also have a school of the Ministry of Education, which allows the young men and women to continue their studies and even take the matriculation exams, in order to maintain educational continuity and optimal rehabilitation.

The duration of hospitalization varies according to age: Up to 3 weeks for adults, and up to three months for youth and young adults.
List of inpatient frameworks for drug and alcohol rehab

Conditions for admission to treatment

  • Residency in Israel.
  • Age 18 and over (in youth hospitals: Over 12 and up to 21 years old).
  • Abuse of or addiction to drugs, alcohol and medications, determined by urine tests, examination by a narcologist and medical history.
  • Need for treatment in a setting with accommodation, determined by medical discretion.
  • Consent to receive treatment in this setting.
  • Tourists are accepted only under certain conditions, beyond public quotas and at their own expense.

Ways to contact the inpatient frameworks

Referral through social workers

Addicts or their family members can contact the addiction unit at the local welfare department. The social worker will direct to the necessary tests, help prepare the necessary documents, and refer to the appropriate framework.

Independent referral

Any addict can contact the framework directly on their own and begin the process after passing an admissions committee.

Referral from medical settings

You can receive a referral from a doctor at the HMO, from general hospitals in preparation for discharge from hospitalization, or from the mental health array. The referral must detail the addiction problem, associated medical problems, recommended medication, previous detoxification attempts, and any other relevant information.

Tests and documents required when applying for an inpatient framework:

Medical tests:

  • Current medical report from the primary physician.
  • Chest X-ray.
  • EKG.
  • Additional laboratory tests according to medical discretion and according to the framework's referral.

Documents:

  • ID card or passport proving residency in Israel.
  • Summary from the referring party regarding previous detoxification attempts (if any).
  • For tourists: Detailed medical documentation including medical history, history of addiction, previous treatments, current medication and dosage, details of the treatment location abroad for contact and data verification.

Admission process

Intake meeting for medical and psychosocial diagnosis and comprehensive medical examinations.

Includes a doctor, a social worker and a guide. The committee examines whether the candidate is suitable for the setting, what their level of motivation is, what their mental state is and whether they pose a risk (in terms of violence). If the candidate is not suitable, the committee will recommend a more suiting alternative setting.
In the case of a minor: The parents or guardian will receive a letter detailing the committee's decision.

Admission will take place within a few days to a week from the date of intake.

Before starting treatment, the addict will be required to sign a treatment contract that defines obligations and rights. The treatment plan and contract will be submitted for approval by the supervisor or management of the Addictions Department at the Ministry of Health.

  • Example duties: Adhering to staff instructions, participating in activities, not bringing drugs, refraining from violent behavior.
  • Example rights: Right to file a complaint, contact with family members, visits.

Costs of inpatient rehab treatment

  • Public frameworks: Treatment for adults and youth in public frameworks is funded and supervised by the Ministry of Health, at no cost and without deductibles.
  • For tourists: Treatment for tourists is at their own expense only, and not at the expense of public quotas.
  • Private frameworks: The cost reaches tens of thousands of shekels per month.

It is important to emphasize

It is important to emphasize

The quality of medical and professional care in the public frameworks of the Ministry of Health is particularly high. These frameworks are monitored more frequently than in private settings and operate under strict, protocol-based, and evidence-based supervision. Treatment in public frameworks is provided free of charge and there is no need to pay large sums to receive quality, professional care.

The importance of continuity of treatment

It is important to understand that an addicted person is an addict for life, and therefore physical detoxification without continued treatment is ineffective. A person who has physically detoxified but does not continue treatment is at a particularly high risk of returning to drug use. Therefore, it is of great importance to continue treatment in community frameworks immediately after leaving the inpatient center, without a break period.

Read about rehabilitation after inpatient rehab