The project "Supporting Child Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in De-Occupied Territories of Ukraine" is being implemented by Boston Children's Hospital Margaret C. Ryan Global Health Program (USA) in partnership with the NGO Community Self-Help.

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.

In 2024, the pilot program “Supporting the Mental Health of Children in De-Occupied Territories of Ukraine” over 100 frontline workers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine were trained to provide essential mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to children and families living in recently de-occupied areas. Participants included members of mobile units, civil-military teams, police and emergency response services, as well as psychologists and non-specialists who benefited from practical, context-specific training.

Key findings revealed significant vicarious trauma among frontline workers—particularly those stationed in de-occupied regions—which often contributed to feelings of isolation. The training fostered a strong sense of community and mutual support, creating space for participants to share experiences and collaboratively address challenges.

There was a clear demand for additional, localized training sessions tailored to the unique needs of specific regions. The vast majority of participants found the course content highly relevant and effective in addressing the mental health and psychosocial needs of children in areas recently liberated from occupation. Despite ongoing security risks near conflict zones, thorough emergency planning and close coordination with local authorities ensured the safe and successful delivery of the training, enabling participants to strengthen their capacity to support vulnerable children.

Training Global course on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for Ukrainian Frontline Workers Supporting Children

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.

• Dr. Emma Cardeli (PhD) — Clinical Psychologist at the Trauma & Community Resilience Center at Global Health Program at Boston Children's Hospital, Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School.

• 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.

• 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".

• Marta Kovalova, psychotherapist specializing in individual depth psychology based on Adler’s approach, lecturer in psychological disciplines at The West Ukrainian National University, and psychosocial support specialist at the NGO Communities Self-Help.

• Tetyana Oboyanska — Experienced psychologist, trainer-supervisor of "Children and War" and CBT for combatants programs.

• Marta Pyvovarenko, WHO mhGAP national trainer and supervisor, and UN expert on the implementation of cognitive-processing therapy in Ukraine.

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

• Roman Svystun, Communication Officer, NGO Community Self-Help.

• Yuliia Shvachkina, Monitoring and evaluation coordinator, 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.