Beit Yossi – An Entire World
Beit Yossi – A therapeutic home for children and families – was founded in the year 2000 in memory of Captain Yossi Ohana in his hometown of Ashdod.
The treatment model at Beit Yossi was designed to return hope to the lives of children and families in crisis and distress, return them to a normative life course, and breathe life into their broken world.
At the base of the model is the concept that true and lasting rehabilitation of children can only occur in a strong, supportive, and functioning family. Therefore the goal of the therapeutic plan is to strengthen the family unit in a holistic and complete manner.In this lies the power of the model, and thus its uniqueness and distinctiveness from other treatment and rehabilitation programs currently operating throughout the country for children-at-risk.
The therapeutic process, which takes place at Beit Yossi, is a long-term process, based on belief in the power of the family to learn, internalize what they learn, and apply it at home.According to this approach, the parents and children at Beit Yossi are identified as two separate clients with a common interest, but with different needs.Due to the great importance the model attributes to not detaching the child from his/her natural surroundings, the process focuses on building the parental and familial relationship. This is accomplished by learning to create a family schedule and other tools.
Beit Yossi is located in the Bet District in Ashdod, a district inhabited by many families who need rehabilitative guidance and assistance.As a place that provides a complete solution for each family sheltering under its wing, Beit Yossi is a therapeutic milestone in the city, and a role model at both the municipal and national level.
In every step of the therapeutic process, in both individual and group therapy, much thought is invested in how to provide the most effective and up to date therapeutic tools for the team, in the spirit of the saying of Rav Kook, "Cover them with a substantial blanket in a way that they will be strengthened and invigorated, and it will be, for them, a rejuvenation from their state…".
At Beit Yossi, families find a supportive atmosphere, and an environment of tolerance and acceptance.Among the Beit Yossi staff are professional therapists and counselors, along with a host of dedicated and committed volunteers.The team, which is the beating heart of the home, receives unique, comprehensive, continuous, and certified professional training. The entire program is administered by a clinical social worker, accompanied by a psychologist.
Beit Yossi has achieved much success.Families who were treated there have significantly improved in their parental function, their intra-familial relationships, and all aspects of the childrens' welfare: physical, social and emotional.
Beit Yossi – The Therapeutic Model
The therapeutic model of Beit Yossi was conceived of and constructed by Yossi Ohana's sister, Tamar, a social worker by training. She thoroughly researched common therapeutic options for at-risk children and families and basedon the results of her research, Tamar created the unique model that is Beit Yossi.
Activities at Beit Yossi take place five days a week all year round. They begin immediately after school is dismissed, and continue into the evening. Upon arrival, children receive a hot meal, and then integrate into the extensive activities in small groups of about 15 children. They receive a personally-tailored solution to their study needs with a focus on remedial instruction; they take part in enrichment activities, and participate in discussion groups, animal therapy and art therapy.
Each age group is accompanied by two counselors, a national service person, and volunteers.
In order to connect the children with their natural home environment, and in light of the belief that providing a solution to the parents contributes directly to strengthening the children as well, the therapeutic team at Beit Yossi toils day and night to bring the parents into this safe and secure area.
Parent-specific activities include training workshops for parents and treatment groups. In the mothers group, there are 20 participants, led by a certified parental counselor, and currently a therapeutic group for fathers is being established.Also, as part of the process, there are activities for children and parents together, accompanied by professionals.
In addition to the structured program, each family receives personal, individualized guidance including home visits and personal conversations.The Beit Yossi staff is involved in strengthening the relationships which exist between the families and various organizations in the community, such as schools where children study, Municipal Welfare Office, Social Security, marriage counseling services, domestic violence centers and more.
Beit Yossi - A Journey of Growth
"If I have strings they are playing with vibrations,
If I have worries they are almost exposed,
If I have a love it will be spoken of quietly,
If I have roots they are slowly getting longer..."
(Rachel Shapira, "A weekday song")
Roots.Wood.Family.
There is nothing as heartwarming as observing the process of personal growth -- to see how out of the wilds, the hardships and the crises -- families are born again; to see how with the appropriate support, guidance, and assistance, families have the opportunity to experience empowerment and regeneration, returning them to a fulfilling and meaningful life.
The treatment model at Beit Yossi is based on the belief that sustainable rehabilitation starts from the roots of the home and on the concept that if one takes care to strengthen and nurture the roots by "irrigation and fertilization at exact doses", beneficial and significant growth can occur, and the whole tree comes to life, robustly and with stability.
It seems that the ancient proverb, which says that "infinite patience delivers immediate results," was inspired by the work of Beit Yossi.
Families arriving at Beit Yossi choose to embark on a journey; a long journey, and sometimes a tedious one.But the toil and intense work that the families have joined together to undertake along with their commitment to persevere in the process, allows them, even in mid-journey, to strengthen, renew, develop and grow.
The seeds are sown at Beit Yossi, seedlings sprout, plants grow and families develop.
Communicating Vessels
"Homeis a place/ That ifyou must returnthere /The door is always open towards you," wrote Natan Yonatan in one of his beautiful poems.
Often, the children at Beit Yossi have been exposed to debilitating and paralyzing experiences in their short and fragile lives.The purpose of Beit Yossi is to give them a restorative experience, in the form of a warm and welcoming, benevolent and spiritually elevating experience.
At Beit Yossi we believe that in order for the children to be able to grow properly, they need a safe space; a space containing people whose support is unfaltering and uncompromising; people children can trust them and trust their commitment to stand alongside them in any situation, anytime, day after day.At Beit Yossi the children receive such a space.
Parents also feel at home
"Woe to the house with windowsopen into darkness, "said the sages (Shemot Raba,14). And indeed, the dedicated therapeutic staff of Beit Yossi does everything to return the light to the homes and to the lives of the families, where the hard reality has darkened their daily routine.
Belief in personal ability, skill development and contribution to the environment -- these values are entrenched into the children and families at Beit Yossi.Therefore, while seeking to strengthen, stabilize and consolidate the ground on which the children are growing and developing, the parents also gain
