The NGO Community Self-Help is a vital implementing partner in Ukraine of the project ‘Supporting Child Mental Health in De-Occupied Territories of Ukraine’, jointly implemented by the Margaret C. Ryan Global Health Program at Boston Children's Hospital (USA) and the NGO Community Self-Help (Ukraine). The initiative provides mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for children and their families in the de-occupied territories of Ukraine by training civil-military cooperation officers, police, SES, and mobile teams to deliver effective psychosocial support in the de-occupied regions, thereby laying the foundation for long-term mental health support in the area.

Our goal is to create a system that will provide access to psychosocial support for children in the de-occupied and frontline areas - from the first meeting with the relevant services to professional therapeutic support, reduce the negative impact of war on children, and promote their gradual emotional and social recovery.

Relevance.

Children's psyche is particularly vulnerable to the effects of war, violence and separation from loved ones. The project takes into account the need to work not only with children, but also with parents, guardians and communities.

Training course

The Global MHPSS Training Course aims to provide trauma-informed MHPSS skills to children and their families in the de-occupied territories for psychologists from the police, SES, civil-military cooperation, and mobile brigades through five trainings in five de-occupied regions, thereby laying the foundation for long-term mental health support in the region.

The developed course covers:

• The basics of psychosocial support (PSBS).

• Support for parents and guardians.

• Taking into account the risks of losing parents during the occupation.

• Development of inter-institutional cooperation for comprehensive support.

The course has a modular structure for gradual learning. It is adapted to the needs of Ukraine in the context of war and meets international standards.

Project team:

• Dr. Suzan Song, Director of Global Child and Family Mental Health, Margaret C. Ryan Global Health Program at Boston Children's Hospital, has extensive experience in humanitarian organizations and MHPSS training programs.

• Carolyn Baer, MPH, Director of Partnerships and Planning, Margaret C. Ryan Global Health Program at Boston Children's Hospital

• Inna Tarasiuk, Program Coordinator, Margaret C. Ryan Global Health Program at Boston Children's Hospital

• Karen Stuggins, MA, Business Operations Administrator, Margaret C. Ryan Global Health Program at Boston Children's Hospital

• David Lewander, Biostatistician, Margaret C. Ryan Global Health Program at Boston Children's Hospital

• Vitalii Kharechko, Project Manager, Chairman of the Board of the NGO Community Self-Help.

• Marta Pyvovarenko, Head of the Department of Quality Assurance of MHPSS Services at the NGO Community Self-Help, WHO mhGAP national trainer and supervisor, and UN expert on the implementation of cognitive-processing therapy in Ukraine.

• Kateryna Buchko, PhD, visiting researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling (Scotland), lecturer at the Department of Social Work at the Ukrainian Catholic University (Ukraine), psychosocial support officer at the NGO "Community Self-Help".

• Vira Iskovych, Coordinator of Projects, NGO Community Self-Help.

• Tetyana Sharay, Communication Officer, NGO Community Self-Help.

• Natalia Morozyuk, Analyst, NGO Community Self-Help.

The project is implemented through close cooperation between international and Ukrainian partners. The team includes representatives of Boston Children's Hospital, the NGO Community Self-Help and other highly qualified specialists.

Contact information

• Community Self-Help NGO, office in Lviv, 9 Shpytalna St., office 401

• e-mail: ukraine@communityselfhelp.org

• tel: +38 067 372 00 32

The project creates a framework for long-term support for children and their families, laying a solid foundation for community recovery and resilience.