NGO "Association for Democratic Development" will provide psychosocial support to vulnerable groups in five communities of the Chernihiv region. This will take place within the framework of projects of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) funded by the German government through the German Development Bank KfW and the Humanitarian Aid Bureau of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
"This project is aimed primarily at building the capacity of the local sphere of mental health and psychosocial support. Trainings, meetings and other activities of the project will expand access to psychological services among people affected by the war in Ukraine, in particular in the Chernihiv region, "― said Anna Nikolenko-Baeva, Head of the Association for Democratic Development.
A team of qualified psychologists will work with residents of Novgorod-Seversky, Varvinsky, Losinovsky, Snovsky and Kulikovsky communities who have experienced and are experiencing the devastating effects of war as a result of occupation, active hostilities, displacement, shelling or loss of family members.
"For the Chernihiv region, psychological support remains relevant, because there are a lot of different critical, crisis situations that the residents of the Chernihiv region had to endure. To participate in this project, we chose both communities that are borderline to the Russian Federation, and those that hosted residents forced to move. A large number of women and men from the affected population, IDPs, persons with disabilities, widows, parents, sons and daughters who have suffered losses and who need psychosocial support live in these communities. That is why, first of all, within the framework of the project, the needs of residents of selected communities for mental health and psychosocial support will be assessed and analyzed.This will happen through individual interviewing and the focus of group research using the IOM questionnaire and methodology, "― Olena Antonenko, project coordinator, shared her priority plans. As a result, the project team, with the support of IOM, will develop a report and recommendations for mental health and psychosocial support programs. These programs will be aimed at working with exactly those requests that are relevant for the target communities.
The team of psychologists of the Democratic Development Association will conduct artistic group activities to help community residents overcome the effects of stress. During the events, participants will also discuss topics important to them with psychologists. For example, adaptation to change, conflict resolution, setting goals, adaptation to new responsibilities, etc.
"Residents of targeted communities will be able to attend free individual sessions with psychologists. An important part of our project activity will be conducting trainings to raise awareness about the integration of psychosocial support and livelihood support, first psychological assistance, self-help for representatives of local authorities, social protection of the population, workers in the field of medicine, education and other specialists who provide services to vulnerable categories of the population of target communities, "― added Ms. Olena Antonenko.
At the end of the project, the Association for Democratic Development will hold a forum. It will facilitate the exchange of experience between project staff, participants and other stakeholders. Also during the forum it is planned to discuss the needs of residents of Chernihiv region for mental здоровʼя and psychosocial support and possible ways to provide such assistance in the future.