The Negev Mental Health Clinic in Ofakim marks 20 years of service

The Negev Mental Health Clinic in Ofakim, part of the Public Health Association, marked two decades of therapeutic, humane, and life-saving work. Every day, people seeking to pause the race of life climb to the second floor of the "Red House" on the main street of Ofakim. They arrive knowing that behind the door of the Negev Mental Health Clinic, a place awaits them where they will be listened to, smiled at, and accepted without a hint of judgment.

The clinic offers a multi-professional framework that provides a full medical, psychiatric, psychological, and psychosocial response. Thanks to the variety of programs operated by the Public Health Association, it enables renewed integration into the workforce, participation in supported employment and mentoring programs for PTSD survivors, and assistance in navigating rights before government ministries.

The events of October 7 and the months of fighting placed the residents of Ofakim, the Gaza envelope, and all of Israeli society before a new and shaking reality. Amidst the fighting, evacuation, and terror, the clinic staff worked to provide immediate responses to the community's needs. Reception hours were extended, staff positions were added, and the connection with the Ministry of Health and local HMOs was further tightened.

The immediate contribution of the Leon family and the provision of necessary resources allowed for the continued operation of the clinic, which had been facing the threat of closure prior to October 7.

Advocate Yasmin Nahum, CEO of the Public Health Association, stated:

"The Association is closely linked to the community of Ofakim and the entire Negev. Our long years of work in the field allowed us to stand by the community in its most difficult hours since October 7. The Negev Mental Health Clinic was and will continue to be part of the journey to recovery and revival."

The President's wife, Michal Herzog, gave an emotional speech at the event:

"In this special city, the Negev Mental Health Clinic stands like a lighthouse. It is blessed with brilliant staff members, soulful people whose professional knowledge has proven to be literally life-saving. I have no doubt that the clinic helped the city of Ofakim in its difficult hour to be a model of resilience and revival."

The highlight of the event was when Advocate Yasmin Nahum addressed Ms. Rachel Edri, a resident of Ofakim whose story of heroism reached US President Donald Trump:

"We were exposed to endless stories of heroism, but one woman's story was etched forever in our hearts. Dear Rachel, throughout this period your name came up again and again in the clinic as a symbol of resourcefulness and strength of spirit. For the patients and the staff, you were and remain an example."

Rachel was presented with a moving gift: a piece of art created from stamps of the Land of Israel and desert landscapes, prepared especially for her at the "Derech HaOmanut" studio in Jerusalem, a protected workshop for vocational rehabilitation under the Public Health Association.