חוכמת המעשה: קליטה וטיפול קדמי בחוזרים מהשבי - שחִִלוף במעיל רוח

Background: Following the October 7, 2023 terror attack against Israel, the IDF Combat Stress Reaction Unit (CSRU) was tasked with preparing a protocol that, in addition to operational arrangements, would take into account the vulnerability of the returning abductees and be sensitive to their emotional experience of being transferred from captivity to Israeli hands.Aim: To describe the initial psycho social interventions with the released abductees from the time they were received at the Red Cross transfer point until they reached an adaptation facility, and from there were transferred to medical centers.Description of the Unit's Interventions: A team that included four social workers serving as IDF mental health officers in emergency situations followed a protocol offering directions for establishing initial contact with released abductees and instilling in them an immediate sense of protection and trust. The protocol also assisted in making professional decisions related to the returnees' mental and physical condition. In addition, the team validated the returnees' harsh experiences while subtly shifting the conversation away from challenging memories. The aim was to instill a sense of security and control by mobilizing the returnees' inner resources and reconnecting them to functional resources.Conclusions: This focused intervention proved to be an organizing and beneficial phase in there turnees' readaptation journey.Implications: The unique early interventions with the returnees confirmed that over the initial encounter, professional teams must be capable of containing overwhelming emotions. While bolstering the returnees' sense of success in withstanding and surviving captivity, they must be careful not to evoke traumatic experiences. In complex situations such as transferring returnees to an adaptation facility and later to medical centers, the mental health teams must demonstrate flexibility and creativity, and expedite the returnees' transfer in a relaxed and calming manner.