About the course:

Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) is a psycho-social intervention based on evidence, whose goals are to enable the participant to acquire knowledge and develop skills that assist them in managing their illness and recovery, and to minimize the symptomatic effects on their life, while setting and achieving personal goals and objectives that are meaningful to them. The intervention consists of a comprehensive structured program delivered as a workbook and includes: information about the illness and its treatment, strategies for advancing in recovery and effective use of medications, ways to cope with stress and symptoms, training in social skills, and preparing a relapse prevention plan. The delivery of the intervention is based on the use of psycho-educational, cognitive-behavioral, and motivational techniques.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for professionals, rehabilitation instructors, and consumer service providers working in mental health treatment and rehabilitation, with at least one year of experience in the field. Facilitators arriving in pairs from the same service will be accepted, provided that at least one of the pair is 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 implementing interventions in various settings. By the end of the course, facilitators will expand their knowledge of the recovery approach in daily practice and will become familiar with diverse tools and skills that promote self-management of personal recovery and illness processes. Learning is conducted both theoretically and practically, with ongoing guidance and support focused on facilitating the delivery of interventions throughout all stages of the course.

Course Structure:

The course has two stages:

Phase One: An introductory workshop consisting of three intensive sessions (6 academic hours per session), which will cover theoretical and practical knowledge, including hands-on experience and practice in preparation for facilitating IMR.  

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

Due to changes in learning methodologies, the course structure and the distribution of study hours may change.

** A final syllabus with an accurate timetable will be distributed to students accepted into the course.

Implementation of the Intervention in the Field: As a central part of the learning process, emphasis is placed on implementing the intervention in the field; therefore, following the initial training (approximatelyone month after the start of the course), students will be asked to begin facilitating a weekly IMR group at the organization where they work.

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

Participants:

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

Course Requirements:

• The disease management and recovery intervention relies on a workbook, which is required for every participant in the intervention group. Therefore, the organization must commit to providing the workbooks to the group participants.
• Every student is required to complete the assignments presented in the syllabus, which will be distributed upon acceptance of candidates to the course and explained at the beginning of the course (these assignments are a condition for receiving the certificate). Assignments include, among other things, mandatory attendance and active participation in workshops and study days, case presentation, and writing reports on intervention guidance according to the requirements listed in the syllabus.
• The participant must attend workshops and training sessions regularly; 90% attendance is mandatory throughout the year.
• Commitment is required to implement the interventions during the course (interventions begin mid-December and end late July) and to continue implementing them for at least one additional year following the course (for the purpose of embedding the interventions), in a group setting. Candidates must submit a declaration form (attached in the appendix), signed by the organization's manager, stating the intention to facilitate the interventions during and after the course. If a candidate, for any reason, cannot commit to continuous facilitation from the beginning of the interventions until their end, they will not be accepted into the course.
• Every course participant must be accompanied by an organizational mentor during the training.
• If a student does not complete their course obligations, they will not be able to participate in another course at the School of Rehabilitation until these obligations are fulfilled.

Admission Requirements:

• Registration is based on a pair of mentors (2 students coming from the same program),
• Each pair must include at least one professional, both of whom have at least one year of experience in mental health rehabilitation.
• Interview received.
• Preference will be given to organizations that propose a plan to expand the implementation of the intervention within their organization beyond the employees participating in the study program.
• The number of participants in the course is limited, so register soon.

Course Cost:

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

• For the first meeting, please bring the signed declaration form regarding the implementation of the intervention in the organization (Appendix No. 1).

**The Illness Management and Recovery intervention was translated and adapted to Hebrew by the Department of Community Mental Health, University of Haifa.

To register for the blended course (3 frontal meetings will take place in Kiryat Ono) click here