Nefesh BNefesh

Wednesday, May 23rd

Last update:02:10:55 PM GMT

NBN Online
You are here: Aliyahpedia Employment & Entrepreneurs Professions Index Occupational Therapy
Click on the slide!

I would like to say that the employment department for Nefesh b'Nefesh has been unflagging in its dedication to finding jobs for new olim - following through and helping at every stage, responsive to all inquiries, and always on the lookout for what is best for the oleh.

-Kim, NBN 2005

Click on the slide!

I started looking for a job on my own as soon as I arrived in Israel and after three months without a decent break, I reached out to NBN for help. NBN told me that they would start sending out my resume which I thought would be a nice, extra outlet. I was feeling hopeless, but now I am now very happily employed thanks to NBN who connected me with my current employer! Thank you NBN

-Tamar, NBN 2011

Click on the slide!

The NBN Employment Department sent me the links from their job board. I sent my resume to positions that I thought were relevant and gave my specific information to the NBN Employment Department. A month later I get a reply from someone who got my resume from the NBN Employment Department. I was thrilled!

-Amy, NBN 2010

Click on the slide!

Thank you for your smile! I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the talk we had after the linked-in session. Thank you for listening. I will be in touch. From my heart, thank you for everything!

-Polly, NBN 2008

Click on the slide!

I wanted to thank the NBN team for setting me up with my first job in Israel! I couldn't have found this position without you! I am so glad I turned to NBN for help.

--Taire, NBN 2011

Click on the slide!

I made an appointment at the NBN office to review my new resume tailored for the Israeli market.  The advice they give one is advice anyone who is job hunting knows - network, network, network.  What NBN gave me was a built-in network that I could immediately start to connect with.  However the most important thing I received was the belief that I had a great team behind me and that I am not alone!

-Ayala, NBN 2010

Click on the slide!

The NBN Employment Department gave us realistic expectations and helped us prepare a game plan - who to meet, which sectors are looking, how to make and approach potential contacts. Throughout the process, it was evident how the NBN staff care and do their utmost to help new Olim transition successfully. I found a wonderful job (that matches 100% what I desired in a position) because the NBN Employment Counselor saw a position and cared enough to send my resume in to the company. I received a phone call not too long after, and a few interviews later I am happily employed!

-Amy, NBN 2010

Click on the slide!

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your assistance yesterday. I walked into your office not quite knowing what to expect and was amazed by the type of assistance that you were able to provide.

-Nir

Click on the slide!

To start me off, NBN gave me all the necessary tools and resources to begin the search. And the best part about this all was that they themselves were looking out for me, and sending my resume to any fitting positions they found. With their help, I landed my first job in Israel in a very reasonable about of time. A big thank you to the NBN Employment Department!

-Donna, NBN 2010

Frontpage Slideshow (version 2.0.0) - Copyright © 2006-2008 by JoomlaWorks

Occupational Therapy

Disclaimer: Misrad Habriut regulations are subject to change without advance notice and are constantly changing. For the most current information regarding licensing procedures, please see Misrad Habriut's site. Nefesh B’Nefesh does not take responsibility for inaccuracies on the site or changes to the law.

For direct links to the occupational therapy licensing pages on the Misrad Habriut site, please see: Misrad Habriut Licensing for Health Professions (Links)

There is a strong demand for occupational therapists to work in various areas such as:
• Integration Therapy
• Rehabilitation Therapy
• Psychiatrically Oriented Therapy

Occupational Therapists are employed in Health funds (Kupot Cholim), hospitals, clinics, hospitals, special-ed schools, etc.

Obtaining a License

Obtaining a License
 
Anyone applying to Misrad Habriut for licensing in these professions is required to take an exam in order to be licensed in Israel.
 
When you first arrive as an Oleh, you should submit all of your licensing documentation to Misrad Habriut. Please mail it to: Misrad Habriut, Ben Tabai 2, Jerusalem.
 
Required Documents for the Licensing Process
 
Graduates who completed recognized academic degree programs in one of the aforementioned fields, in an institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education in Israel or in an institution abroad that is recognized by the Council, can submit a request for degree recognition.
 
Please note:
 
Copies must be validated by an Israeli notary in Israel. You cannot notarize the documents using a North American or U.K. notary, nor can you do this at the Israeli Consulate.
Documents that are not written in Hebrew or Arabic, must be translated to Hebrew using a recognized translator in Israel.
All documents must be submitted in two copies. If the copies have been validated by a notary in Israel or translated to Hebrew by an Israel-recognized translator, you must submit the notarized copy plus an additional copy.
The following documents must be included with the request:
 
2 passport pictures.
A copy of your Teudat Zehut, including the Sefach, the appendix with your address. If you are applying pre-Aliyah, please submit a copy of your passport with your application to Misrad Habriut.
Final diploma or a certificate from the university indicating completion of studies, fulfillment of all of the university’s requirements and eligibility for a diploma in the relevant field, which will be granted at a specified date.
Official certification indicating the start and end date of studies.
Official certification of an internship (“stage”) indicating the number of hours that you completed. The greater the number of hours considered as part of your internship, the more likely it is that your licensing process will proceed smoothly. (If you did not complete an internship, please provide official certification about work done in the field abroad, with a valid license, for at least one year.)
Official certifications of work experience, from the relevant medical institutions, indicating the start and end date of work in each institution.
Valid license.
A letter of good standing from the relevant authorities in the country that you made Aliyah from, proving that you never received complaints about discipline, negligence or professional ethics.
An application form. The forms are available online at:http://www.health.gov.il/pages/default.asp?maincat=4&catid=42&pageid=3784
An application requesting to be tested in the relevant field. The forms are available online at:http://www.health.gov.il/pages/default.asp?maincat=4&catid=42&pageid=3784

Anyone applying to Misrad Habriut for licensing as an occupational therapist is required to take an exam in order to be licensed in Israel.

Please note: It is now possible to apply to the Ministry of Health Pre Aliyah. It is also possible to take the licensing exam as a tourist. For more information, please see the following article: Start your Licensing Before Aliyah.

Misrad Habriut now offers a new customer call center to answer questions about licensing for health care professionals. Call *5400 from Israel or 972-8-6241010 from abroad. The center operates Sunday through Thursday, 8am-6pm, and Fridays from 8am-1pm, Israel time.

When you first arrive as an Oleh, you should submit all of your licensing documentation to Misrad Habriut. If you live in the Jerusalem area or in Acco, Tzfat, Nazareth, Afula, Tiberias or Be'er Sheva, this documentation must be sent via registered mail to: Misrad Habriut, Division for Licensing of Medical Professions, Ben Tabai 2, Jerusalem, 93591.

If you live outside of these areas, you must bring these documents in person to your local Misrad Habriut office. For a listing of offices, see Misrad Habriut offices. 

Required Documents for the Licensing Process

Graduates who completed recognized academic degree programs in occupational therapy, in an institution recognized by the Council for Higher Education in Israel or in an institution abroad that is recognized by the Council, can submit a request for degree recognition.

Please note:

  1. All documents must be translated and notarized by an Israeli notary. For each document that you submit, you will need to submit 1 notarized copy, plus a photocopy of that same document. (Please also make a photocopy of each notarized document for your files.) Do not submit any original files.
  2. You cannot notarize the documents using a North American or U.K. notary, nor can you do this at the Israeli Consulate. Please see Notarization Services for more information.
  3. Documents that are not written in Hebrew or Arabic, must be translated to Hebrew using a recognized translator in Israel.

The following documents must be included with the request:


  1. 2 passport pictures.
  2. A copy of your Teudat Zehut, including the Sefach, the appendix with your address. If you are applying pre-Aliyah, please provide a copy of your passport with your application to Misrad Habriut.
  3. Final diploma or a certificate from the university indicating completion of studies, fulfillment of all of the university’s requirements and eligibility for a diploma in the relevant field, which will be granted at a specified date.
  4. Official certification indicating the start and end date of studies.
  5. Official certification of an internship (“stage”) indicating the number of hours that you completed. OTs must have completed at least 1,000 hours of internship.The greater the number of hours considered as part of your internship, the more likely it is that your licensing process will proceed smoothly. (If you did not complete an internship, please provide official certification about supervised work done in the field abroad, with a valid license, for at least one year.)
  6. Official certifications of work experience, from the relevant medical institutions, indicating the start and end date of work in each institution.
  7. Valid license.
  8. A letter of good standing from the relevant authorities in the country that you made Aliyah from, proving that you never received complaints about discipline, negligence or professional ethics.
  9. An application form. The forms are available online.
  10. An application requesting to be tested in the relevant field. The forms are available online.
  11. Documentation indicating a name change, where relevant.

Receiving Your Permanent License

To receive the permanent license, you must submit all of your translated and notarized documents to Misrad Habriut. Misrad Habriut will then send you a permission form allowing you to take the licensing exam. Once you pass the exam you should receive your license in the mail. You may pay for your license online: Misrad Habriut Online Payment.

Misrad Habriut does not send a reminder indicating that your licensing is going to expire soon. As soon as you receive your license, please mark your calendar 12 weeks before the expiration date so that you can receive your renewed license before the old one expires.

Exam Dates
 
 
For exam dates and other information, see Misrad Habriut's site. This website also has links to the bibliography of the different tests.

Places of Employment

Kupot Cholim
Each of the four health funds, Meuchedet, Macabbi, Clalit and Leumit has branches throughout the country. The differences between the health funds lie mainly in the location of their facilities, the types of supplemental policies offered, and additional services offered within the framework of their facilities. Most large cities have a clinic in almost every district. OTs either work in the Kupot or work privately and accept Kupot members and get paid per treatment.

Private Practice
When you have a private practice you can see either see patients on a strictly private basis, or, if you have an agreement with a Kupah, you can receive members of health funds and then be reimbursed by the funds. There are many practices that combine the two.

Finding Work

One way to begin looking for work is to directly contact your local health funds or local hospitals and speak to the department head of Occupational Therapy.

It is also possible to turn to the government employment bureau for academics, known as the Bureau for the Placement of Professionals (Lishka Le Ta'asukat Acadama'im). In Jerusalem, go to:

Lishkat Taasuka
5th Floor of (new) Central Bus Station, Jerusalem
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8:30 – 11:30 AM and 12:30 – 2:00 PM
Monday, Wednesday, 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Phone: 02 501 3111

For a full listing of Lishkat Taasuka locations throughout Israel, see http://www.taasuka.gov.il/Taasuka/Employee+Services/General+Info/SearchBureau.htm.

In addition, the Ministry of Education might be contacted regarding positions for occupational therapists both in regular and special education schools.

Finally, word of mouth is often one of the best sources of job leads. Don't hesitate to let everyone you can know that you are seeking work, and follow up on any leads they may offer. Many positions are filled without ever being advertised.

Knowledge of Hebrew

A good working knowledge of Hebrew is essential. It is strongly advised to study Hebrew before you arrive and then to take Ulpan upon arrival. Even where an immigrant occupational therapist works entirely with speakers of his/her mother tongue, it is still necessary to deal with the various agencies that make up the Israeli medical network. For a full listing of Ulpan options, see the Ulpan Guide.

In addition to regular Ulpan, Misrad HaKlita offers an Ulpan for medical professionals - shlav bet. The class opens provided there are enough people who are interested. Be in touch with your local branch of Misrad HaKlita to find out when the next class will begin. For more information, see Medical Ulpan.

Recognition of Diplomas through Misrad Hachinuch

If you intend to work in any public institution including schools or hospitals, you must have all of your academic diplomas recognized by Misrad Hachinuch (Ministry of Education) for salary assessment purposes. When you work in a public institution, your salary is partially based on your level of education. See Recognition of Academic Degrees.