On the premises of the Health Center in the 12th district in Paris, building on its experience in psychological support and care-giving to victims of anti-Semitic attacks, and with the support of the American Joint Distribution Committee, OSE has opened a Psycho-trauma and Resilience Unit in the wake of the January 2015 terrorist attacks.
In addition to individual consultations by psychiatrists and clinicians for victims and relatives of anti-Semitic attacks, the unit offers briefings and training sessions to meet the requests made by the institutions that receive vulnerable people: students, children at risk, elderly people, Holocaust survivors, and people with disabilities.
OSE has created this unit on very short notice thanks to the experience and commitment and responsiveness of all its teams. Several training sessions took place in May, July, September, October and November 2015 given by internationally recognized Israeli experts in the field of psycho-trauma from the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) and by French legal and clinical experts. More than 40 clinicians have been trained to monitor individuals and to intervene among groups, institutions and the Jewish community.
When the November 13th attacks hit Paris, OSE teams were trained and ready. The Psycho-Trauma and Resilience Unit was part of the response unit for several weeks after the attacks, in partnership and cooperation with the local and national care system activated by the authorities. OSE clinicians treated victims and briefed school staff and students affected by the attacks, Holocaust Survivors and other vulnerable groups of the Jewish community social services.