As part of the psychological rehabilitation strategic program for children and adults affected by the war — Mental Health — Parimatch Foundation continues to implement the educational project for IRC psychologists «Psychological Support in Crisis». The course, implemented with the support of the Department of Education and Science of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Military Administration, was completed by 28 Inclusive Resource Center psychologists of the region.
It is to be noted, that the Ivano-Frankivsk Region, like other regions in the West of Ukraine, has been receiving internally displaced persons from the areas of active hostilities since the first days of the full-scale invasion of Russia. Thousands of Ukrainians have found shelter in the region, mostly families with children. They are the ones who need the qualified help of specialists who could console and help them survive the traumatic experience.
The project developed with the Israeli Trauma Coalition experts 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 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.
— I liked the course, it was interesting. — shares Yuliya Gedz, IRC psychologist of the Snyatyn City Council of Kolomyya District, the Ivano-Frankivsk region. – Denys Denysenko was our speaker, he gave valuable advice on experiencing panic attacks, and how to help yourself and others. This, unfortunately, is a frequent situation.
I had an experience when a woman had a panic attack when heard an air raid alarm. And I was ready to help, give recommendations to clap with her heartbeat, breathe, and she overcame the attack faster. She also found out in the cases like that.
I work with children. I learned how to calm them down, and how to work with parents. I often encounter that parents cannot even accept the child’s diagnosis. It is important to work with them, and I learned a lot of useful exercises and effective tools that help in work.
Maryana Fesyuk, the IRC specialist of the Solotvyn Settlement Council, Ivano-Frankivsk District, Ivano-Frankivsk region, says that her new knowledge helped her to contact IDPs more easily and create an atmosphere of trust and peace for them.
I liked the lecture on how to talk to children about death, and how they experience it all in different age periods, it was very interesting to learn about Hibiki. My colleagues and I were very excited to study, it was a great pleasure. It is important to say that not only do IDPs need support because people from the West of Ukraine are also under stress, but we should not forget that they also need support, especially children with special educational needs. That’s what I plan to implement in my practice. It was also important for me to learn new techniques for working with children with autism. All course materials are precious and full of practical skills.
It is to be noted that the educational project for ICR psychologists was successfully implemented in Ternopil, Lviv, and Chernivtsi regions as well. In total, almost 150 specialists, working both with internally displaced persons who found refuge in the West of Ukraine and with residents, completed the «Psychological Support in Crisis» course.
It is to be noted that this project was created with the support of the Department of Education and Science of Ternopil regional state administration. Since the war started, the head of the department, Olga Khoma, together with the team, has been doing everything possible to protect the residents of the Ternopil region and the people who fled here from other regions. The Parimatch Foundation has also joined the request to help with the region’s basic needs. The next step is a social initiative – the educational course «Psychosocial Support in Crisis» – which will be implemented in other regions of Ukraine.
