The “Out of the Depths” project was founded by the “In the Path of Udi” association in partnership with the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services and several other partner organizations. It is intended for anyone who experiences bereavement during the complex Corona pandemic. At its center is a wide range of online services provided to those dealing with bereavement, through video or telephone calls.
Services offered:
- Virtual funeral and Shiv’ah – Cisco enlisted to enable family and friends to participate remotely at a funeral and at the Shiv’ah through the accessibility of advanced technologies. Bereaved families who are interested, received a free user account, which allowed them to watch the funeral and attend it virtually. Furthermore, a family can receive a virtual room where they can summon the relatives, even those in quarantine, which allows some comfort in grief. The virtual room will be open for 10 days 24 hours free of charge and can be used according to the preferences of the family.
- Individual Emotional Support – The project offers families assistance with emotional support using remote conversation technologies. The support includes up to three phone or video support sessions, according to the needs of the applicant and carried out by qualified therapists who volunteered for the program.
- Spiritual Counseling – Through the program, participants can receive up to three sessions of spiritual counseling, led by qualified spiritual counselors, to assist them with both the separation process from their family member and for the period after the death.
- Counseling for parents – Parents are able to receive guidance about how to talk to their children about death and support their mental health. The consultation includes up to three sessions by phone or video and is provided by qualified therapists who volunteered for the program.
- Emotional Group Support – The project also offers online support groups led by qualified professionals for those who are interested in participating. Participants can attend groups whenever they please, without restriction.
- Clerics – The project works in collaboration with clerics from four religions (Judaism, Islam, Christianity and the Druze ethnic group) who provide religious support related to rituals and the grieving process from the religious perspective.
- Support for hospital staff – The program offers support and guidance to medical staff, social workers, and nurses currently facing huge emotional burdens due to the crisis. Support will be provided on issues such as processing and delivering difficult news and assisting family’s in their separation processes. An emphasis underlying all support provided to these personnel was to develop their sense of resilience and ability in coping with these situations.
https://www.outotd.org/?lang=en
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