The Ministry of Health sees great importance in recruiting high-quality therapists, namely psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers, for the public healthcare system (hospitals, clinics, HMOs, resilience centers). After a long and complicated staff work by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Histadrut, a new salary agreement for psychologists was signed. The agreement is part of the national mental health program, and it comes to increase the numbers of psychologists in the public service.
The agreement contains two main tidings for the psychologists’ public in the public service:
- A significant pay increase for psychologists
- The creation of a unique professional ranking that places an emphasis on tracks for professional and administrative development
The agreement contains elements that will have a significant contribution to the expansion of the therapeutic array in the public healthcare system.
This agreement reflects the great esteem that the Ministry of Health holds psychologists in, seeing them as key partner in the public healthcare system, and cherishing their willingness to answer the national calling and join the public healthcare array.
New salary ladders
The new agreement creates a unique psychologist ranking system, that begins from a higher salary starting point (an average increase of about 40%) and creates three ladders for promotion and development:
- The professionalism ladder: Intern, specialist, mentor, senior mentor.
- The responsibility ladder: Head of field, head of internship, chief psychologists.
- The administration ladder: Heads of teams, clinic deputy directors, clinic directors, deputy directors of the psychology array in the hospitals, directors of the psychology array in the hospitals, deputy national psychologist and national psychologist.
The ladders intertwine with each other to create numerous and various tracks for development in the public healthcare system. Along with progression in the ladder, the earning capacity also progresses in significant leaps.
Increased position grant
The Ministry of Health wishes to significantly increase the number of psychologists employed in the public mental health services, and encourages full-time employment. The new salary agreement gives a unique grant for psychologists employed in a full-time position. The grant is substantial and is paid once a year, according to the scope of the psychologists’ employment.
Objectives model
The agreement determined an objectives model designed to increase the number of therapeutic sessions offered in the public service. Psychologists who will meet these objectives shall be eligible for a grant.
Additional incentives provided by the agreement:
- Significant pay increase for the hourly rate.
- A separate ranking system for psychologists with a new structure for positions that includes:
- Administrative positions for which a pay increment is paid
- Responsibility positions for which a pay increment is paid
- Availability increment
- Setting a number of annual continuing education days, including financial participation
- Increment for psychologists with a doctor’s degree
- Examinations vacation for interns in psychology
The national mental health program
Over the last year, the need for psychological services has increased. Consequently, the Ministry of Health initiated the national mental health program that, among other things, shall double the availability of therapeutic services offered through the public healthcare system.
The psychologists’ salary agreement is part of the national mental health program. The program places an emphasis on community-based psychotherapy and on the field of mental health in Israel, and a budget of approximately 1.4 billion Israeli Shekels has been allocated for it. This budget is intended to improve the therapeutic services provided within the framework of the public healthcare system, including:
- Expanding the services provided in the HMOs and the psychiatric hospitals
- Opening emergency services that offer crisis intervention services, as well as community-based hotlines
- Drafting salary agreements for psychiatrists and psychologists in order to bring as many therapists as possible to work in the public healthcare services
This is the largest budget ever allocated to this field in Israel, and it constitutes a turning point in the national priorities order.
