מעבר מחיים מוסדיים לחיים עצמאיים בקהילה: עיקרי דו"ח ועדת דותן

This article aims to present the key points of the Dotan Committee's report, and its primary recommendation regarding the initiation of deinstitutionalization processes and the transition to community living. The Dotan Committee was appointed by the Israeli Minister of Welfare in 2022 following incidents of violence and deaths in institutions for people with disabilities. The article begins by detailing the living conditions within these institutions, including violence initiated by both staff and residents, violations of autonomy and privacy, extensive use of restrictive measures, and over-reliance on psychiatric medications. Next, the article identifies the root cause of this bleak reality, which, according to the committee, is the widespread use of the institutional approach. Drawing on Gofman’s concept of the "total institution", the article illustrates how the structural characteristics,of such institutions drive detrimental processes, including depersonalization dehumanization, significant power imbalances, and the creation of extraterritorial spaces. These detrimental effects of institutional life align with the findings from empirical research and professional experience, and contravene the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which.Israel ratified in 2012The article also aims to highlight the obstacles that hinder the Israeli welfare system from effectively initiating the deinstitutionalization processes, and facilitating the transitioning of people with disabilities into the community. These obstaclesinclude resistance and pressures from service providers, unaddressed concerns from families and residents, a selective (mis)interpretation of the principles of the CRPD, and more. The committee's recommendations, presented in the next section, seek to address these obstacles and outline a comprehensive plan for implementing deinstitutionalization, and transitioning from an institutional to.a community-based approach.