Continuing to Search for Answers

Yesterday I posed a question and am gathering responses. You can see the issue in this post: Posing a problem and Searching for Solutions.

Here is the first response to come in:

Someone on my FB page says: "Get in touch with a lawyer. They have no right to do this" 

My answer: Thank you for pointing that out. That is exactly what the bank said and why the bank will not provide a loan. However, it is also why I was not able to work in Misrad HaChinuch, the Ministry of Education as I had no solution to this 4 month no pay stipulation for new Olim and had no-one to assist me. 

Do you have a solution to the problem? 

BTW, if you can tell me that this is no longer happening I will be delighted to hear and to share the happy news.

In the meantime, I would like to know why the OT supervisors do not see the problem here. Why are the principles of the profession not being advocated for? What about ensuring that OTs are able to live the kind of quality lives we assist our clients to. OT is about promoting health and well being not creating causes for OTs to end up in a state of poverty, which refusing to pay can create.

This post is prepared for you by

Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist, healing facilitator, certified infant massage instructor, freelance writer and co-author of "Tuvia Finds His Freedom" and author of "Healing Your Life Through Activity - An Occupational Therapist's Story"

Posing a Problem, Searching for Solutions

In this post I will be sharing a problem, one that other Olim (immigrants) are bound to come up against too and I invite all readers to please post ideas for solutions to this problem. If anyone can share why this is happening and how we can change it that would be great too.

When I made Aliyah, yes, quite a few years ago now, one option for work was within the Ministry of Education as a School based Occupational Therapist. The OT supervisors and all that I met who knew of these positions all warned me that I would have to be prepared to wait 4 months before I start earning my salary. So here are my issues and questions.

1. Why is there any delay to receiving ones salary? We live in a modern age where computers make organizing data fast and efficient, so why 4 months?
2. What is an OT supposed to live on while working full time and waiting to earn anything? None of the OT supervisors had any suggestions for this. Oh, sorry, one did! She stated you live off your savings. I explained that I had not brought savings. My life situation did not permit it. She had no solution, she said you just have to wait 4 months to start getting your salary. She did add you might get some money back, but what does that help if you have nothing for 4 months.
3. Working privately on the side might be one idea but that only works in a job situation where your private time is respected as being yours and you can then schedule clients without any pressure or difficulties. However, when the place of work demands that you be available for any meeting that they might spring at a moments notice and/or for all paperwork to be done at home after hours, unpaid of course, then how do you find time for those private clients?
4. Taking a bank loan is not an option. I have not found a bank to be prepared to advance any funds while you wait to be paid.
5. This leaves me with no ideas and I don't like situations that have no solution. 

Can anyone share ideas of how a new Olah who is an occupational therapist should best handle such a situation. If there are other professions affected in this way, please share too. What can we do to improve the job situation here in Israel?

This post is prepared for you by

Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist, healing facilitator, certified infant massage instructor, freelance writer and co-author of "Tuvia Finds His Freedom" and author of "Healing Your Life Through Activity - An Occupational Therapist's Story"

Occupational Therapy, Private Practitioners Group Begins

We have exciting news! In a recent post, I invited OTs working in Israel to join a network group for OTs interested in working privately or already doing so. OT stands for Occupational Therapy. I have tried for a few years now to get a group together, I am happy to say we had our first meeting this morning. Our first session was spent getting to know each other and discussing our needs and goals for the group. We shared some experiences of becoming licensed as an OT in Israel and some areas of interest in terms of OT practice.

I am very excited that our first meeting has happened. The next meeting is scheduled for 21 December at 9h30. The meeting lasts an hour and takes place virtually. Currently we are using Skype with webcam. If we reach more than 9-10 members we can explore other online conference options.

If you are an occupational therapist working in Israel and are interested in joining our group, please do send me an email. We'd love to have more OTs join us.

I'm looking forward to the next meeting. Hope you will too and link in too.

Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist, healing facilitator, certified infant massage instructor, freelance writer and co-author of "Tuvia Finds His Freedom" and author of "Healing Your Life Through Activity - An Occupational Therapist's Story"

Searching for Answers

Recently I met someone who has just completed her Shiur Leumi or National Service in place of going into the Army / IDF. I asked her in what kind of facility she did her National Service, to which she responded to a special type of boarding school for children who have been taken away from their families due to abuse, neglect or other major problems in the home. She asked if I knew of such places. I said that I had as I am an occupational therapist (OT). I mentioned that as a student I had a clinical placement in a place of safety and said it sounded very much like the kind of place she was describing. I then asked her if she knew what OT is and whether any of the students had received OT. The response was very sad for me to hear.

This young lady said she had an idea what OT is. She said that some of the children received either art therapy, music therapy or pet therapy but those who received therapy were permitted one type only. None of them received OT due to budget restraints. I asked if the art therapy, music therapy and pet therapy helped. She responded that she did see a benefit but that it was not enough and not to all the children were able to go for therapy due to limitations of funding. 

I asked what she thought the best situation would be and how it compared to what they currently received. Sadly, she shared that she truly felt that most of the children if not all could benefit from OT intervention. She said that what she sees happening is that instead of providing necessary therapeutic intervention the children are heavily medicated in order to control their behaviour. This makes me realize once again the need for the book that I am preparing to launch. However, aside from educating on the benefits of occupational therapy I wonder what else can help this kind of situation. Is the issue lack of awareness of what OT can offer or is it purely a funding issue. If funding is the problem, will educating philanthropists or government organizations help?

What are your thoughts? What can be done to enable those who could benefit from necessary therapeutic intervention to be able to receive these services instead of resorting to medication with all the unhealthy side-effects that goes with most if not all meds? Of course, I am not talking of those who require medication as well as therapeutic intervention, I am talking of the problem or using medication instead of offering services that could alleviate the problems that the children are facing.

If you have a constructive thought to share please comment below. If you are willing to share a post about my book that is about to come out to help to spread the word and promote occupational therapy, please do be in touch.

Shoshanah Shear

Occupational Therapist