There is a mental health section in every recruiting bureau in order to perform mental assessments. The mental health section includes a professional team: mental health officers such as social workers or clinical psychologists as well as psychiatrists. The initial assessment will usually be carried out by a military officer who can determine adjustment difficulties and sometimes can determine ineligibility for service. The final decision regarding eligibility for military service rests with the military authority alone.

Why was I referred to the mental health section?

Did you receive a notification to be referred to the mental health section? This may be due to one of the following reasons:
1) Findings emerged from the personal interview or from the questionnaire filled out by the family doctor before appearing for the first order.
2) Findings that came up during the examination with the doctor during your First Order.
3) Findings that arose at a different stage of the First Order process.
4) Proactive application of the Israel Defense Forces to the recruiting office by presenting relevant material from the citizenship process.
5) Application of caregivers during the process of citizenship.
6) Information that emerged from reports submitted to the IDF from official bodies such as the Ministry of Health, the National Insurance or the Israel Police.

Pay attention! The procedures in the mental health section are defined as medical procedures and are therefore mandatory. Cooperation must be done in order not to delay the recruitment procedures.

If you need to see a medical professional, you must hand over relevant documents. Including a reference from someone who knows you well, the findings that led to this diagnosis, the level of functioning in the various levels (interpersonal, educational, occupational, professional). Medication and/or therapy given in the past or given today. It is advisable to attach a functional opinion from your educational setting (or the last setting you were in). Your cooperation and the transfer of all the documents before your examination will allow us to provide more efficient and accurate treatment. 

It is important to remember - The mental health section of the recruitment office is a section whose purpose is to diagnose difficulties before recruitment. If you are interested in seeing a Kaban during your military service, you must request this from your commander during your military service.

A tip from us - You should come with all the documents about you relating to mental health when coming to the recruitment bureau.

Useful forms in the mental health section
1) Questionnaire for the therapist

• If you are required to fill out this form, you must pass this form to your therapist (psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, therapist) and return the form to the mental health section
  
  2) Functional report questionnaire

• If you are required to fill out this form you must deliver it to an individual in your educational environment (teacher, educator, school principal, etc) and return the completed form to the mental health section.
  
  3) Consent for holding a committee without attendance (and above)

• If you are required to fill out this form you must sign it and return it to the mental health officials at the recruiting office (if you are under 18 years old, a guardian’s signature must be included). This form confirms the existence of a medical committee without your presence, and it is possible that you will be exempted from military service at the end of the committee.

Mental health score (KHAS) and your profile

In the mental health section, in addition to the profile and possible disabilities (which can indicate a certain medical condition), mental health officials can determine adjustments that allow for reliefs in your service (e.g. non-combat service, service as a combat supporter, etc.). The mental examination procedure does not affect the quality of the data like the Dapar. The profile and the KHAS will affect placement according to their severity and in some cases even lead to an exemption from military service.

A mental diagnosis, mental or drug treatment do not constitute an automatic reason for exemption. Each case is individual. An effort will be made to exercise the right to military service of every member of the Israel Defense Forces. The mental health system is deployed in all IDF units and enables service for soldiers, even if there is a need for drug treatment or psychological support.

Common questions
1) I sent documents to the mental health section, when will I receive an answer about them?

• You can transfer documents about your mental state to the mental health section through the personal area. After transferring the documents to the mental health section, the documents will be transferred to the professional body who will review all the documents. After going through the application, the answer to the application will be updated in the personal area of the recruiting site, in addition to sending a text message with the answer to your application.
  
  2) I received a mental health profile/ psychological profile in the past and it is no longer relevant, what do I do?

• You can submit a request for a reconsideration of your mental state to the mental health section. This request must be accompanied by documents from professional bodies/ therapists that indicate an update/ change in your mental state. It is advisable to attach a personal letter expressing your wishes to change the section’s decision.
  
  3) I received an exemption from the mental health section, when will I receive the exemption certificate?

• The process of receiving and issuing the exemption takes several months. If you received a recommendation for ineligibility for service (exemption), you may be invited to a medical committee. If you are not interested in this or if you asked, you can sign a consent form for holding a committee without attendance and upload it through the personal area of the recruiting site.
  
  4) I have a problem in the field of mental health, because of which I cannot show up for the summons, what do I do?

• If you are unable to physically report to the recruiting office, you must submit a medical certificate from the relevant party in order to cancel the summons. Also, you must transfer all the medical documents on the subject to the recruiting office through the recruiting website so that the relevant party can examine the issue.