The Cherna Center is Menifa’s Post-Hospitalization Rehabilitation Framework for Young Women
Established in 2012, the Cherna Center started as a pilot program designed to return adolescent patients to community life following psychiatric hospitalization. Today, our framework allows them to sleep at home and continue with their studies, treatments and social activities, supported by a customized program of rehabilitation. The Center is named for the late Cherna Moskowitz, who was actively involved in its activities.
The goal of the Center is to help the girls to get back on track, through personal and group therapy, counseling for parents, advice on social integration, and complete rehabilitation. We take a holistic approach, offering treatment and rehabilitation in partnership with various government departments, including the welfare, health and education ministries.
Background
Thousands of young people in Israel are struggling with mental health issues including depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Sadly, the state currently only allocates resources for the treatment of under-18s through hospitals, nursing homes and welfare institutions, and rehabilitation facilities in the community are limited. In 2012, Menifa decided to set up and open a unique center in Jerusalem for intensive rehabilitation within the community, to encourage rehabilitation at home rather than hospitalization.
The Cherna Center was established by private donors in partnership with WIZO USA in the WIZO Home in Beit Hakerem. It became Menifa’s flagship mental health facility and from 2014-2024 it was recognized as a pilot program in conjunction with Israel’s welfare, health and education authorities. In 2024, the Menifa LaGova School was established alongside the Cherna Center as a religious special education school under the auspices of the Ministry of Education.
The Cherna Center Approach
The Cherna Center provides teenagers who face diverse mental challenges with a safe and supportive environment, a personalized study program, individual emotional support and empowerment. It implements Menifa’s holistic treatment model, which treats a young person with mental health difficulties as someone with healthy aspects that also need to be strengthened at the same time. Alongside their medical treatment, the therapeutic educational system develops their strengths and skills, to enable meaningful education and a partnership between therapist and patient with an emphasis on respectful dialogue and mutual appreciation.
Rehabilitation for children and youth in the community can be very influential on the success of their recovery process. It can reduce the number of hospitalizations and reduce the length of each stay, establishing hospital as a place for emergency measures and medical diagnosis only. The rehabilitation process also helps to prevent a crisis from becoming a chronic illness, making it easier for young people to return to normal functioning in their own environment – school, military/national service, or normal/protected employment – and in their relationships and family life.
However, rehabilitation within the community also require intensive work with the family. The parents of a struggling child, together with her brothers and sisters, all need guidance and direction. Strengthening her family unit, as well as her relationships with her community and wider environment, can be extremely significant goals on the way to her recovery and full functioning.
The Cherna Center Treatment Model
Students attend the Center from 8:00-16:00 and follow an individualized program of individual and group therapy, as well as social, educational and educational support. Their weekly activities include two hours of individual therapy, participation in a therapy group, as well as parent training. The center also provides psychiatric follow-up for girls once every 6 weeks.
The average stay at the center is 18 months. As each girl approaches the age of 18, she begins a process of consultation with her parents and staff about her future plans, according to her needs and abilities, to create a framework for preparation through rehabilitation.
Number of participants: 20 young women aged 14 to 19 who are dealing with mental difficulties such as depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. Some have been hospitalized and require a rehabilitation program to return to functioning in the community. Currently 15 girls are enrolled in the intensive daily program and 5 more receive integrated support.
Cherna Center Professional Staff
Led by Etia Dan, Menifa’s Founder & CEO, the team includes social workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, house mother, art and drama therapists.
