Personal case managers for every wounded soldier, family support among war injuries commission's recommendations

The public committee for expanding the national response to wounded IDF soldiers, headed by Professor Shlomo Mor-Yosef, submitted its recommendations to the government today (Sunday), including a proposal for a comprehensive reform of the Rehabilitation Department, estimated to cost about an additional NIS 2 billion a year on top of the current budget, which stands at about NIS 10 billion.

According to data presented by the committee, about 25,000 wounded people have entered the rehabilitation system since the start of the war, and about 70% of them have already been recognized by the Rehabilitation Department in the Defense Ministry. The committee found that the waiting time for a psychiatrist is currently about seven months, and that the number of people dealing with mental injuries has surged to unprecedented levels.

At the center of the recommendations is the understanding that the Rehabilitation Department cannot continue operating in a format built for much smaller numbers of wounded. Committee members warned that the wounded from the current war differ significantly from those in previous wars: many suffered the most severe injuries, including complex head injuries, amputations, women injured during their service, and soldiers coping with combined physical and mental injuries.

One of the committee's main recommendations is to assign every wounded person a permanent personal aide who will serve as a single point of contact for all needs מול the Rehabilitation Department. The committee also recommends a broad upgrade of technological infrastructure, expansion of digital services, and the introduction of artificial intelligence tools to help shorten procedures, collect documents, and manage medical committees.

Mental health is at the heart of the report. While mental injury cases previously made up about 15% of all wounded, today they account for more than half of the casualties. The committee recommends expanding the treatment basket, including complementary and alternative treatments funded by the state, establishing dedicated frameworks for soldiers within the psychiatric system, stabilization homes for people coping with post-trauma and addictions, and providing tailored responses for special populations, including wounded women and head-injured soldiers.

The committee also recommends narrowing the gaps between the rights of those injured mentally and those injured physically, expanding vocational rehabilitation, and encouraging the employment of wounded veterans through incentives for employers. Today, about 75% of the wounded are employed, but the committee believes the numbers can be increased and that additional wounded people can be helped to reintegrate into society and the labor market.

A significant section is also devoted to family members. The committee states that after discharge from hospitals, a large share of the burden of care and rehabilitation falls on parents, spouses, and children, and therefore services and rights should be expanded for them as part of completing the “One Soul” reform.

Additional recommendations include establishing dedicated frameworks for severely head-injured soldiers, increased assistance for wounded lone soldiers, integrating local authorities into family support, and giving wounded veterans priority before various government ministries.

The IDF Disabled Veterans Organization welcomed the committee's recommendations, but stressed that the real test will be their implementation. Organization chairman Idan Kleiman, who served on the committee, said, “The recommendations in the Mor-Yosef report are critical to the rehabilitation of the wounded, but without a government decision for immediate implementation they will be just another document left on the shelf.”

The organization said the report, submitted with the agreement of the defense minister and the finance minister, presents a necessary response to the reality created by the Iron Swords War, and places at its center strengthening care for those with mental injuries, expanding services and treatments, personal support for wounded soldiers, strengthening support for families, and turning the Rehabilitation Department into an independent authority. “Every day of delay harms thousands of wounded IDF soldiers and security forces personnel, and their family members,” the organization said. “The roadmap has been laid on the table. Now the government must act.”

More on this, Father of a combat soldier who was killed by accidental gunfire: “As far as we are concerned, there is no need for an investigation” “They beat them with sticks and humiliated them,” 9 soldiers arrested on suspicion of abuse in the army