An educational course for psychologists has been launched in a region that was one of the first to suffer from a full-scale invasion. The course specializing in «Psychological Support in Crisis» was implemented by Parimatch Foundation with the Israeli Trauma Coalition.
30 psychologists of Inclusive Resource Centers and educational institutions including IDPs in the Chernihiv region received access to the course. This project in the region is supported by the Department of Education and Science of Chernihiv RMA. The project aims to share with Ukrainian psychologists the latest techniques of crisis assistance that are needed when working with internally displaced persons of different ages during the war.
The «Psychological Support in Crisis» course was developed by experts of the Israeli Trauma Coalition. It was initiated as a part of the Foundation’s psychological rehabilitation strategic program for children and adults affected by the war – Mental Health.
The course materials include psychological and emotional first aid protocols used in Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, including self-help and assessment techniques, assessments, and acute reactions and trauma.
The lecturers of the course are:
Rita Gabay is an expert of the Israeli Trauma Coalition, a clinical psychologist, a psychologist of the educational system, and a specialist in the organization of learning processes for kids and children with special needs. She works in the field of psychotherapy and psychodiagnostic, crisis intervention. She is a specialist in the organization of parent consultations, support, and supervision of pedagogical and therapeutic teams.
Denys Denysenko is a psychologist, master of health care management, and certified Gestalt therapist who helps organize humanitarian aid to the population in crisis. The expert has been working with the ITC since 2014 when the invasion of Russia into the territory of Ukraine began.
As noted by the head of the Department of Education and Science of Chernihiv Oblast, Mykola Konopatskyi, the psychologists and IRC specialists of the Chernihiv region felt the need for effective and new psychological assistance techniques.
— Chernihiv region became the first one to have suffered the invasion, a region that was under occupation for a considerable time. Our psychologists and IRC specialists supported children throughout this difficult time and helped overcome stress to everyone who asked for help. I am sure that the received knowledge and skills will affect another joint good deed.
Due to the active hostilities in the territory of the region, the suburbs of Chernihiv and the settlements closest to it suffered a lot. Currently, the total base of destruction reaches 5,500 objects, most of which are residential buildings. Each affected family has experienced many stressful situations. The «Psychological Support in Crisis» course will become another tool for specialists on the way to restoring psychological health, both for residents of the Chernihiv region and internally displaced persons.
It should be noted that the Parimatch Foundation with the Israeli trauma coalition launched the «Psychological Support in Crisis» course for psychologists at the beginning of May. It has already been successfully implemented in Ternopil, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, and Kyiv regions. As of September, 203 psychologists and IRC specialists have completed the course.
