Gaza Community Mental Health Program (GCMHP) has created an Occupational Therapy-Rehabilitation (OTR) Centre in order to provide OTR services for people with mental illness in Gaza.These services aim at improving functioning by developing an individual’s capabilities to the fullest possible extent that his/her disability permits. The OTR Centre targets adults from both genders with chronic severe mental illnesses and significant impairment in functioning--this is approximately 15,000 people in Gaza. The Centre is comprised of male and female specialists (some specialized in occupational therapy and others in mental health) who are committed to guiding clients in achieving their individual treatment goals, through individual, group and family interventions.

Treatment plans often include improving:

• Self-care and hygiene (e.g. using appropriate washing, health and fitness)
• Basic skills (e.g. manipulating money, telling time, traveling to places independently)
• Social skills (e.g. using appropriate verbal & non-verbal communication, stress/anger-management)
• Insight and relapse-prevention (e.g. understanding individual symptoms, medications)
• Empowerment (e.g. learning to advocate for themselves, finding support in each other)

Strategies employed in the OTR to accomplish these goals include:

• Initial comprehensive OTR assessments to determine individual rehabilitation treatment goals
• Structured groups (which include clear objectives for each session, combining teaching, active skills-building through practice, and recreational activities like drawing, pottery gardening, and sports)
• Individual sessions and home visits when needed
• Case conference among the OTR staff to discuss and improve care
• Active coordination throughout the process with the client’s primary mental healthcare provider.

As this is the first Centre of its kind in Gaza, this is a model in-process whose services will also be improved by information-sharing among various providers of mental healthcare and coordinated care.