THE HOUSE ON ISACOV STREET, LOD – AMIT BOARDING HOUSE
THE RECEPTION PROCESS
ACCEPTANCE COMMITTEE AND INTRODUCTION MEETINGS
Today, Amit Boarding House is the home of 59 resident, and its extension houses 15.
As of today, the Boarding House is at full capacity, but sometimes vacancies open as residents exit from the Boarding House further out into the community.
People referred to the Boarding House are 18-25 years old (men and women) with light to medium intellectual developmental disability and challenging behavior.
New applicants are referred to the Boarding House by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services’ district placement committees, after a process which includes reference to receive a diagnosis and a gathering of a diagnosis committee which decides the methods of treatment
ACCEPTENCE COMMITTEE – INITIAL ENCOUNTER
An applicant referred to us by the district placement committee will be invited to an acceptance committee along with their family, a local authority social worker and the boarding house’s professional staff.
We receive plenty of written material from the district placement committee which gives a thorough, professional image of the applicant’s details, characteristics and needs, and in the acceptance committee we will want to get to know the person themself on a more personal level, as well as their family, to introduce them to the lifestyle in the program and to examine together whether our ways answer their needs. At the end of the acceptance committee, the staff gathers to form a final decision and an answer is given within several days.
PRE-RECEPTION – THE BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS AND INTRODUCTORY MEETINGS
After the family and the Boarding House have decided to begin the reception process, a bureaucratic process commences in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services and in the local authority.
Have patience, this process may last several weeks, but this is usually a perfect amount of time to prepare the applicant for the coming change.
According to the need and with coordination with the family, we can host several introductory meetings between the applicant and Amit’s residents, meant to create motivation to arrive and be incorporated in the new home.
The introductory meetings are programmed individually and are different for each new resident and family according to their needs.
DAY ONE IN AMIT BOARDING HOUSE
ARRIVAL AT AMIT
Once the bureaucratic process is complete, we will coordinate a date for reception.
Day one in Amit is a day where the joy of a fresh start mixes with the sorrow of goodbye and the fear of the unknown. Both in the new resident and in their family.
We prepare for this and personalize a schedule for the first day, based on our acquaintance with the newcomer and prediction for their experience. Normally they will be invited in the late morning hours, when the other residents are already out in the activity centers, in order to have a quite atmosphere in which the staff can give the new resident maximal personal treatment.
GOODBYE
After a short welcome in the office, the resident will be accompanied by the housemother to organize their personal belongings in their new bedroom, while the family stays in the office to finish up some more bureaucracy, meet the house nurse, and receive briefing regarding the acclimation period which characterizes the reception process.
Afterwards, the family will be accompanied by Amit staff to the living quarters and say goodbye in the resident’s new bedroom.
Goodbye? Only temporarily, until the first phone call a few hours later, until the first visit a few days later… and we are here, with the new resident and at your service. Every day, all day long, always and with great joy!
WHAT TO BRING
A resident of the Boarding House has all their needs met, which includes… everything.
So, what should you bring on reception day?
Clothes for the first few days and “something from the family home”.
Something the resident loves and reminds them of home, such as a family photo, an ornament or any object of personal value…
At the end of the acclimation period we would like to see the resident recognizing their new home in Amit, not as a replacement for their family home but as an addition to it, and “something from the family home” helps to achieve that.
ADJUSTMENT AND ACCLIMATION
THE ACCLIMATION PERIOD
Some adjust to their new home and lifestyle quickly and others take longer. We prepare accordingly and build the reception program according to the resident’s needs, personality and will.
The program is constructed in cooperation with the family and usually includes routine visits once or twice a week and regular daily phone calls. Maintaining this routine is crucial in this period for the resident to build trust in their new home and lifestyle.
RECEPTION CRISIS – “FIRST NIGHT AWAY FROM MOM”
Some have it on the first night, some after a few days, weeks or months, while some never experience it. Normally the reception crisis rises from a difficulty to comprehend the connection between the new home in Amit and the family home, and the resident’s position between these two homes. Our experience teaches that the deeper the relationship and cooperation between the family and the staff, the briefer the crisis, and the quicker a routine is established, in which the resident recognizes their new home as an extension of the one they had before.
OBTAINING A ROUTINE
Our daily routine constantly adapts to stay in line with the residents’ personal growth. It aspires to put them on a progressive track according to their needs, abilities and aspirations.
Life routine in a warm, supportive and promotive home, our life routine.
Acclimation
“I’m going to visit my parents, I’ll be back tomorrow”, “When will I be back in Amit?”, “talk to you tomorrow”, “come see what we put on the wall in the common room”… such phrases signify the resident’s acclimation in their new home and entering the routine aiming for progress and joy. Life routine in Amit, our life routine.