Page 14 - Demo

The Summit Institute
A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF REHABILITATION SERVICES
In the wake of the Corona crisis, we’ve witnessed how we’ve headed into a whole new direction over the past year. We’ve been forced to confront new ways of dealing with life, and forced us to adapt to a new reality of changes and adaptations. All of our various rehabilitation services have needed to learn new strategies.
So what exactly have we learned this year?
First of all, we’ve been reminded of the simple things in life. We’ve been reminded that small aspects of our daily lives are important and we shouldn’t take them for granted.
Technologies (like Zoom) ,which have been thrust into our lives, have reinforced the importance of being physically close to others - but also that being in touch is not necessarily an issue of where we are in relation to others.
And of course, group Zooms have introduced a whole other dynamic...
We’ve been shown that adapting to challenges is a basic act of human survival because it requires us to live in the moment – and we have all discovered individual modes of coping with these challenges.
Perhaps unlike ever-before we’ve learned to deal with – and accept- the concept of uncertainty and not knowing what comes next.
When it first arrived, Corona seemed to stop all progress and forward development in their tracks. We were obsessed with dealing with that “new normal” that froze (and still freezes) all sorts of daily aspects of life. The year in many ways served to stop our lives. It was a year where we learned what is coping with overload.
But at the same time, because of the remarkable ability of all our individual units to respond to the crisis- it was our finest hour – akin to the words of Churchill regarding the soldiers as they went into battle.
The creativity, dedication and commitment that our teams put forth, without exception, serve as a guiding light for what it is to cope and shine. Even when the Ministry of Health might have lagged slightly in their responses to certain challenges, we were able to react to events as needed. There were certainly many difficult and frustrating moments over the year accompanied by anger and anxiety, but we were always able to respond and care for those we are here for.
The resources we needed, and still need, from our team, were extensive, but I am deeply proud that despite the challenges
they were always there.
Despite it all, this year we were able to initiate a project to combat suicides which emerged following a spate of tragedies in 2019. We are already being able to feel a change as a result of this project, and all 125 members of our rehabilitation staff underwent a course to be able to identify signs of suicidal behavior. We have performed a full mapping of our infrastructure so that we can know who is at risk and to respond accordingly. Those at highest risk are exposed to a therapy approach of DBT led by Adi Mantzor and Reut Kadosh.
Our “factory” and sports center continue to operate amidst our ongoing effort to give our clients gainful employment and social opportunities. These units were of course most hurt by the periods of quarantine and they fought to overcome those challenges. Our residence programs remained open and attentive to the needs of the residents.
Amidst it all, we bid farewell to Amit, the Director of our Adolescents Program, who completed two years of remarkable service to Summit. We are very happy that she will continue to be with us, albeit with a different role, but still involved with our rehabilitation programs.
Eitan Gefen, who will fill Amit’s position, has “inherited” the Corona challenges and came into the position smack in the midst of this battle. I am so impressed by Eitan who truly lives the concepts we promote and is so in touch with the emotions and challenges of those we help.
Rita, the Young Adolescents Community Director and Neta Siboni, Director of our Residences, were forced to deal with the challenges associated with anxiety and isolation, and together with our incredible staff were able to even further strengthen our activities in a truly remarkable and professional manner. The dedication everyone exhibited over this period has been truly inspirational- both for us as staff and for the clients we serve.
This was truly a year of both coming together and moving “back and forth” but all was done with professionalism and compassion. For this, I extend my deep gratitude.
For next year, my hope is that we can return to those days of past which were so defined by growth and enjoyment without these Corona-related challenges, but also embrace the remarkable traits that we were forced to learn during this period - so that together we as Summit can continue to grow and thrive.
Danny Steinberg, Director of Rehabilitation Services