About the course:

Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) is an evidence-based psycho-rehabilitative intervention, the goals of which are to enable the participant to acquire knowledge and develop skills that help him manage his illness and recovery and reduce the effects of symptoms on his life, while setting and achieving personal goals and objectives that are meaningful to him. The intervention consists of a comprehensive program presented as a workbook and includes: information about the illness and its treatment, strategies that promote the selection and effective use of medications, ways to cope with stress and symptoms, training in social skills and the preparation of a plan to reduce the recurrence of the illness. The delivery of the intervention is based on the use of psycho-educational, cognitive-behavioral and motivational techniques.

Who is the course intended for?

The course is intended for professionals, rehabilitation instructors, and service providers working in the field of treatment and rehabilitation in the Israeli community, with experience in the field of one year or more. Instructors who come in pairs from the same service will be accepted, with the requirement that at least one of the partners be a professional , and both students have at least one year of experience working in the organization itself.

Course objectives :

Training employees as professional facilitators for the implementation of the intervention in various settings. At the end of the course, the facilitators will expand their knowledge of the recovery approach in everyday practice, will become familiar with various tools and skills that promote self-management of personal recovery and illness processes. Learning is carried out both theoretically and practically, with guidance and training focused on accompanying the delivery of the intervention during all stages of the course.

Course structure:

The course has two stages:

First stage: An initial workshop of three concentrated sessions (6 academic hours per session), which will include imparting theoretical and applied knowledge, including experience and practice in preparation for IMR facilitation.  

Phase Two : Includes 17 training and guidance sessions on implementing the intervention, once every one to two weeks during the school year.

It is possible that, in light of changes in learning styles, the course structure and distribution of learning hours will change.

** A final syllabus with a precise timetable will be distributed to students who are accepted to the course.

Implementing the intervention in the field : As a central part of the learning process, emphasis is placed on implementing the intervention in the field, therefore, after the initial learning, (about a month after the start of the course) students will be asked to begin leading a weekly IMR group in the service where they work.

Important to know: The group will be guided by two facilitators , as part of their work (both are required to participate in the course).

Participants:

The course is intended for 30 participants, professionals, rehabilitation instructors and consumer service providers (at least 2 from each organization, at least one of the two a professional), with at least one year of experience.

Course requirements:

• The illness management and recovery intervention relies on a workbook, which is required for each participant in the intervention group, therefore the organization must commit to providing the booklets to the group participants .
• Each student is required to complete the assignments presented in the syllabus that will be distributed upon acceptance of candidates for the course and will be explained at the beginning of the course (these assignments are a condition for receiving the certificate). The assignments include, among other things, mandatory attendance and active participation in trainings and learning days, presenting a case, and writing reports on the intervention guidance according to the requirements listed in the syllabus.
• The participant must attend workshops and training sessions regularly, with a 90% attendance requirement throughout the year.
• A commitment is required to implement the intervention during the course (intervention begins in mid-December and ends in late July) and to continue implementing the intervention for at least another year following the course (in order to implement the intervention), in a group setting. Candidates must submit a declaration form (attached in the appendix), signed by the organization's director, stating their intention to guide the intervention during and after the course. If a candidate, for any reason, cannot commit to continuous guidance from the beginning of the intervention to the end, they will not be accepted to the course.
• Each course participant must be accompanied by internal organizational training on an ongoing basis.
• If he does not complete his course obligations, he will not be able to participate in another course at the rehabilitation school until he completes his obligations as above.

Admission requirements:

• Registration is based on a pair of supervisors (2 students coming from the same framework),
• Each pair requires at least one professional , both of whom have at least one year of experience in the field of mental health rehabilitation.
• Admissions interview.
• Priority will be given to organizations that propose a plan to expand the implementation of the intervention in their organization beyond employees participating in the curriculum.
• The number of participants in the course is limited, so hurry up and register.

Course cost:

Cost per participant: 2,075 NIS. Ministry of Health participation: 4,960 NIS.

• To the first meeting, you must bring the signed declaration form on the implementation of the intervention in the organization (Appendix No. 1).

**The illness management and recovery intervention was translated and adapted into Hebrew by the Department of Community Mental Health, University of Haifa.

To register for the online course (3 face-to-face meetings will be held in Kiryat Ono) click here