The nationwide protests sparked in the United States in the wake of the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has placed law enforcement officials under great strain, causing a spike in anxiety disorders.
Israel Hayom learned Sunday that as part of authorities' efforts to help their officers, both the NYPD and the FBI have contacted Israel's largest crisis center for assistance in how to help their law enforcement officials psychologically deal with the highly volatile situation.
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Natal – the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center is an NGO specializing in the fields of war and terrorism-related trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and resiliency-building among civil society.
The organization was established in 1998 by the late Dr. Yossi Hadar and Judith Yovel Recanati, who serves as its chairperson. Defense Minister Benny Gantz currently heads Natal's public advisory board.
In 2013, Natal was honored with the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Public Advocacy Award for outstanding and fundamental contributions to advancing social understanding of trauma.
Since its foundation, the organization has helped hundreds of thousands of Israelis of all ages deal with the country's complex security reality.
The unprecedented scope of the events rattling the US over the past few weeks has taken its toll on police officers, who are also dealing with increased anxiety and stress. This has prompted the FBI and NYPD to seek Natal's help due to its unique experience in treating members of the security forces who suffer from these conditions.
The sessions between American police officers and Natal's team of psychologists take place via video conference and focus on the ongoing crisis in the US, the coronavirus pandemic, the economic situation, the violent riots, and the burnout and fatigue wearing down law enforcement in the US.
So far, over 120 sessions have been held.
Natal CEO Orly Gal said the collaboration attested to the organization's professional experience and international reputation.
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