MDA Launches New Mental Health Unit
The new system is meant to improve responses to mental health-related emergencies, which MDA said have increased sharply over the past year. According to the organization, calls involving mental health crises rose by about 45% from 2024 to 2025, with many linked to the war, anxiety, trauma and post-traumatic stress.
Magen David Adom announced that it has established a dedicated mental health emergency response unit in partnership with the Health Ministry, following a successful pilot program.
The new system is meant to improve responses to mental health-related emergencies, which MDA said have increased sharply over the past year. According to the organization, calls involving mental health crises rose by about 45% from 2024 to 2025, with many linked to the war, anxiety, trauma and post-traumatic stress.
Until now, such calls were generally handled by standard emergency medical teams, regular dispatchers and police. Under the new model, calls identified as mental health-related will be transferred to a specially trained mental health dispatcher for evaluation.
That dispatcher will be able to activate a mental health crisis intervention unit, which will work with other emergency responders to assess the situation and determine the appropriate next steps. The specialized field units will include a paramedic and a mental health nurse.
MDA said police will still be involved in cases where necessary, including incidents involving violence, danger to others or self-harm.
MDA Deputy Director-General of Medicine and Blood Services Dr. Raphael Strugo said mental health crises are among the most complex situations emergency teams face.
“As the number of crises increases, MDA is committed to ensuring these individuals get the care they need,” Strugo said. “By embedding mental health professionals directly into our emergency response, we’re giving our teams the tools to provide the highest quality care, even in the most difficult moments.”
MDA said it is working with the Health Ministry on a phased expansion of the program and is examining how to accelerate the rollout in the coming years.
The move comes as Israel’s emergency and health systems continue to deal with the psychological impact of the war, including among civilians, evacuees, soldiers and families directly affected by attacks, displacement and prolonged insecurity.
The new unit is intended to give dispatchers and field teams a more specialized response option for psychiatric and emotional crises, rather than treating them only through the standard emergency medical framework.