Occupational Therapy Practice in Israel Following the Community-Based Rehabilitation for People with Psychiatric Disability Act 2000

Abstract

The Israeli Community-Based Rehabilitation for People with Psychiatric Disability (CBRPPD) Act was ratified in July 2000. Its objectives were to define the principles of rehabilitation and the services offered to people with psychiatric disabilities in Israel. This article reviews this act and its application in a variety of services. We also examine the connection between the act and professional occupational therapy activities, applying the occupational therapy new practice framework (AOTA, 2002). It illustrates the application of the act and its professional implications using evidence obtained through semistructured questionnaires completed by occupational therapists working in psychiatric rehabilitation units in the community and in hospitals. It presents a variety of new opportunities that have opened up to occupational therapists, as well as their professional contribution to the field of psychiatric rehabilitation in Israel. Finally, the article presents several dilemmas which the mental health rehabilitation field in Israel is facing today.