What We Do
The EJ-YMCA Rehabilitation Program is the only program in Palestine applying a holistic approach in providing rehabilitative services. As we constantly strive for professionalism in every sphere of service and based on our belief that in order to achieve the desired objectives at the psychosocial and vocational levels, a suitable environment needs to be provided to the beneficiaries in order to facilitate the rehabilitation process. Customized to each individual beneficiary, our group of professional staff provide a comprehensive intervention plan that takes into consideration all the different needs and obstacles ranging from education to mobility and accessibility. Our focus is on ability and not disability so that our beneficiaries become active members in their communities and are reintegrated into society, thus contributing to mobilizing and utilizing the community resources as well as to the reconstruction of the Palestinian society. Our services are provided either by the field workers who cover all areas of the West Bank, at the surroundings of the beneficiaries, or at the Program's main office in Beit-Sahour.
The holistic approach adopted at the Rehabilitation Program consists of a number of services covering many life aspects that are relevant to the social and political context in Palestine.
Our program adopts different approaches based on scientific methodologies towards intervening with children, youth and adults in need of psychological support, whose normal sequence of life has been disturbed by disability, prison, misconception or preconceived ideas. The quality of services rendered through our counselors and social workers has left its impact on the lives of individuals, groups and communities. This service is provided to the community through a number of projects in cooperation with various local and international partners and funders.
As part of the holistic approach to rehabilitation, we involve the family in the healing journey of their children as it is compulsory in helping them accept their children's new situation alleviating their stress, and to promote their role as the main supporter for their children.
We believe that every person has the right to education. Academic rehabilitation services include offering remedial education covering the fees of courses and costs of transportation to receive education. We believe that our beneficiaries' potential is big and hence they deserve investing efforts and resources to reintegrate them into academic life.
Vocational rehabilitation services are offered for those who are over 15 years old to enable them to plan for a stable and self-dependent future. These services include: providing guidance to beneficiaries to assist them in setting up a vocational goal; examining their physical and mental abilities, their inclinations and the job market within their communities through the Vocational Assessment Unit; referring them to a vocational training centre or workshop to acquire needed skills to join the labor market; facilitating employment; and sponsoring self-employment projects. Vocational rehabilitation has a valuable impact on leading beneficiaries to become economically self-reliant and productive members in their communities that would eventually help them regain their self-confidence and enhance their self-esteem.
Although psychosocial intervention helps persons with disability to approach life more positively, the fact that the physical surroundings remain inaccessible delays the integration process of the marginalized groups into their communities. Therefore, the Program includes building access facilities and adaptation of residences, schools and public facilities to complement and add value to its rehabilitation process. Adaptations may include bathrooms, home entrances and schools. Parallel to these services, we are keen to raise community awareness regarding the diversity concept, thereby helping persons with disability to be self-dependent and enjoy their rights to access services.
The Program tries to provide the basic and most urgent assistive aids for persons with disability in order to make the rehabilitation process possible. Therefore, it facilitates the provision of physical rehabilitation services including subsidizing physiotherapy, occupational therapy and offering technical assistive aids (like wheelchairs, crutches, artificial limbs, etc).