A round table meeting was held in Chernihiv on the psychological needs of residents of the region's communities.
The event was the result of the project "Strengthening the psychological stability of residents of the communities of the Chernihiv region," implemented by the NGO "Association for Democratic Development" in cooperation with the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Chernihiv region. The partner of the meeting was the Mediabaza hub.
The meeting was attended by psychologists of various services and institutions, national universities "Chernihiv Polytechnic" and "Chernihiv Collegium" named after T.G. Shevchenko, as well as representatives and representatives of communities, the psychological service of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in the region.
Inna Chistenko, adviser to the head of the OVA on mental здоровʼя, presented a study on the need to provide psychological services in the communities of the Chernihiv region. According to the survey, which was conducted by the questionnaire method and covered more than 2 thousand respondents, far from all educational and medical institutions in the region, which were under occupation, were trained in psychological assistance. There is a need for this knowledge and psychological support, but there are not enough specialists in hromadas.
Iryna Synelnyk, the project manager, said that during November 2023 - January 2024, 12 trainings on psychological first aid to adults and children were held in six communities of the Chernihiv region, which covered more than 270 local residents and residents. According to her, the main result of the project was to improve the awareness of hromada residents of how to help themselves and others in a crisis situation.
The head of the psychological service of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in the region, Alexander Panchenko, thanked for the project and emphasized that the psychology department had the opportunity to share their experience and expand the scope of their activities. After all, it was not about responding to a crisis situation, but improving people's knowledge of how to respond correctly, what to do, what to say and what not to do and say. Following the meeting of the round table, proposals were prepared for the OVA on the need for cooperation between the authorities and the public in the field of supporting the mental health of residents of the Chernihiv region.
The project is being implemented by the NGO Association for Democratic Development in cooperation with the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the region thanks to the financial support of the UK Government within the framework of the Women. Peace. Safety ": Answers to the Challenges of War," which is carried out by the Ukrainian Women's Fund/Ukrainian Women's Fund in partnership with the NGO "La Strada - Ukraine," the Association of Women Lawyers of Ukraine "Yurfem," the Information and Consulting Women's Center, the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health and the Center "Women's Perspectives" with the assistance of Office of the Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and the Office of the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy.