Provision of first psychological assistance - this was the topic of the training, which was held in Dnipro with the support of TDH Italy for teams of children's spaces working within the PROMESSA project: "Pearl" — in Novovodolazka, "Kryla" — in Zlatopilska, "Zherelo" — in Tomakivska communities.
Experienced psychologists, certified trainers Olena Antonenko and Tetyana Mohylna acted as facilitators of the two-day training.
The activity of children's spaces in the conditions of the ongoing war requires diverse knowledge and skills from their teams. Therefore, special attention was paid during the training not only to theory, but also to practicing practical skills.
Important issues on which the teams worked together became:
- The specifics of providing first psychological assistance in the conditions of spaces for children, ethical principles of this activity.
- Presentation of the protocol for providing first psychological assistance in acute stressful situations.
- Categories of teenagers who may need attention.
- Peculiarities of the work of teams of spaces with children with autism. In addition, the participants of the training considered the protocols of response of space specialists to acute psycho-emotional states — panic, stupor, hysteria, motor excitement, apathy. It was also about means and methods of stabilizing children, reducing the level of stress, preventing the development of severe psychological consequences, restoring the emotional stability of children during their stay in children's spaces.
However, not only children and their parents need psychosocial support, sometimes psychologists need help. Therefore, the issues of the limits of the competence of specialists, prevention of professional self-burnout, and self-preservation skills were discussed separately.
Taking care of yourself and the team is important in professional activities. And these are self-help skills, mutual support and prevention of emotional burnout.
With new strength and updated knowledge, we are waiting for a meeting in children's spaces!
The project "PROMESSA: Protection of children, response to emergency situations and health care for the most vulnerable families affected by the conflict in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions" is implemented by the NGO "Association of Democratic Development" in partnership with the branch of the "Ter des Om Italy ETS" foundation in Ukraine (TDH Italy) Terre des Hommes Italia in Ucraina. The project is financed by Italian Cooperation. And it is implemented with the aim of strengthening mental health and improving the social adaptation of children and their families who suffered from the war in the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
