Treat, Learn, Teach: Bar-Ilan University Transforms Crisis into Knowledge

The phone lines opened at dawn on October 8, 2023, and the team at Bar-Ilan University’s Community Psychology Clinic were answering calls, taking notes, collecting data, and teaching the next generation of trauma specialists in real-time. This is what makes Bar-Ilan unique: every crisis intervention serves three crucial purposes – treating today’s trauma, researching tomorrow’s solutions, and educating the specialists who will carry this knowledge forward.

“Other facilities focus solely on treatment, which is crucial,” explains Professor Eshkol Rafaeli, who heads the academic steering committee, “But as a research institution, we’re also studying what works, what doesn’t, and why – all while training the next generation of psychological first responders. Every patient interaction becomes a data point that helps us develop better treatments, and every intervention becomes a teaching moment for our students.”

When the calls began pouring in – from shell-shocked residents of the south, families of reservists, communities grappling with loss – therapists provided immediate support and researchers carefully documented response patterns, treatment outcomes, and emerging needs. Simultaneously, graduate students observed and assisted, gaining invaluable real-world experience in crisis intervention.

Bar-Ilan’s three-pronged approach proved especially valuable in developing new treatment protocols. For example, the clinic launched online support groups for military families. In addition to comforting family members, they were studying group dynamics under stress, measuring intervention effectiveness, and training future specialists in group therapy techniques. Bar-Ilan then revised its treatment protocols and has already begun training the next cohort of clinical psychologists using the revised protocols.

“Every crisis teaches us something new about human resilience,” says Dr. Dana Atzil-Slonim, the research director. “But what’s unique about Bar-Ilan is that we’re capturing these lessons systematically. When we work with a traumatized community, we’re not just helping them heal – we’re studying the community-wide impact of trauma, developing new intervention models, and preparing the next generation of therapists to handle similar situations.”

This commitment to research-based innovation has led to breakthrough insights. The clinic’s work with “forgotten grievers” – those who fall outside traditional support systems – is yielding new understanding about grief’s ripple effects through communities. Insights into the ways that different age groups process national trauma are already informing new therapeutic approaches. And documentation of the effectiveness of various treatment modalities is helping shape more efficient intervention strategies.

As the clinic transforms into the new Bar-Ilan Community Resilience Clinic, this dedication to combining treatment, research, and education remains central to its mission. Our goal is to strengthen and expand this Center which will not only provide care but will also serve as living laboratories where treatment innovations are studied, and future specialists are trained.

Meanwhile, the educational component continues to grow. Graduate students who were thrust into crisis response roles are now developing specialized skills in trauma treatment. Interns who helped staff the hotline are turning their experiences into research projects. And faculty members are incorporating lessons learned from the crisis into their teaching curricula.

“In a way, we’re building a living textbook,” reflects Dr. Maya Wolff, clinic co-director. “Every case we handle, every intervention we design, every outcome we measure becomes part of the knowledge base we’re creating for future generations of mental health professionals. This isn’t just about getting through today’s crisis – it’s about being better prepared for tomorrow’s challenges.”

Given the unprecedented level of national trauma, Bar-Ilan will need the resources to double its treatment center’s capacity from 6,000 to 12,000 treatment hours annually in order to meet the current and growing needs.

As the sun sets over Bar-Ilan’s campus each evening, the Clinic’s sessions are just beginning. In this unique environment, each conversation is an opportunity to help someone in need – and it is also a chance to advance our collective understanding of trauma and recovery, train the next generation of mental health professionals, and build a more resilient future for all of Israel. Please join us and help us build, heal and educate those who need it most.