“We established Clear Sky right after October 7, with the idea and vision of bringing technology into the mental health field and trying to narrow the gap between supply and demand through the Israeli innovation we’ve trusted for so many years,” said Adi Yoffe, a business futurist and co-founder of the organization.
The post-October 7 psychological crisis has laid bare a profound difficulty for Israel: In the face of skyrocketing need for therapy, how can medical infrastructure bridge the wide gap between the volume of patients requesting assistance and the limited capacity of current resources? To combat this, the nonprofit Clear Sky hosted a technological innovation awards ceremony this week at Google’s offices in Tel Aviv. The gathering drew attention to technological applications created to advance psychiatric care, featuring one specific digital platform aimed at helping adolescents vulnerable to suicide.
Overcoming Medical Conservatism in Tel Aviv
Organizers point to a relatively conservative approach that has characterized medicine and mental health treatment for decades as a primary hurdle. Prof. Ehud Davidson, chairman of Clear Sky and former CEO of Clalit Health Services, noted that the medical field has historically relied on a traditional one-on-one therapy model with few technological advancements to accelerate treatment.
Clear Sky CEO Yael Aberman emphasized that the integration of digital tools is designed to support, rather than replace, human practitioners. The awards ceremony brought together organizations involved in mental health care and technology, including the Defense Ministry, pharmaceutical company Teva via its Caring for the Mind initiative, Joint Israel, and Google to evaluate and celebrate these resilience-building technologies.
Hadassah Medical Center Deploys Suicide Prevention App
Among the winners was Dr. Amit Shalev, a psychiatrist and head of child and adolescent psychiatry at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. Shalev presented a digital safety-planning program currently utilized at the hospital for teenagers with suicidal tendencies.
The application, originally developed in the United States and translated into Hebrew by the team, guides young patients through identifying personal triggers, coping with moments of intense impulses, regulating emotions and dealing with distress. It also addresses the question: Who can I turn to when things get difficult? This recognition underscores a broader shift toward incorporating digital tools into existing mental health services.
Google Partnership Bridges Tech and Clinical Care
Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, provided support for the initiative, hosting the ceremony at the company’s Tel Aviv offices. Noa Elefant-Loffler, Google’s director of public policy and government affairs in Israel, stated that the collaboration aims to pair technological scalability with frontline humanitarian efforts.
Looking to the future, Aberman draws a parallel between Israel’s experience of turning urgent national challenges into technological innovation, noting that Israel is a leader in technology, agriculture and cybersecurity. By turning an urgent national crisis into a catalyst for technological development, the organization hopes to establish a sustainable framework for psychological care.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Clear Sky Initiative
What specific criteria did Clear Sky use to select award winners?
The awards initiative recognized organizations that are implementing technologies in mental health and helping large numbers of people through technological innovation.
Which major organizations participated in the Tel Aviv event?
The ceremony brought together representatives from the Defense Ministry, Teva and its Caring for the Mind initiative, Joint Israel, and Google.
How does the newly awarded app assist at-risk teenagers?
The translated software helps patients identify triggers, cope with moments of intense impulses, regulate emotions and deal with distress, and addresses the question: Who can I turn to when things get difficult?
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