У Харкові відбувся тренінг "Основні принципи надання психосоціальної допомоги в умовах надзвичайних ситуацій та криз"

On July 10-12, 2020 training on the basics of providing psychosocial assistance in emergencies and crises was implemented in Kharkiv. The training was attended by 25 psychologists from different regions of Ukraine.

The trainers: Olena Sudakova, medical psychologist-psychotherapist, PhD in Psychology, and Iryna Tkach, clinical psychologist and trauma therapist, noted that the training began with information on the COVID-19 pandemic and safety measures.

"Getting acquainted with the group, it was found that it consists of the participants who are engaged in various spheres of work, but almost all of them are somehow related to the training subject. Among participants, many are familiar with the principles of providing psychosocial assistance in emergencies and crises, some of them provide psychosocial assistance professionally, and one person is not professionally involved in the training subject, but aims to provide such psychological assistance in the future", the trainers emphasized.

During the first day of the training, participants learned about emergencies and their impact, the basic principles of IASC, multi-level system of emergency support and coordination in the field of MHPSS, more specifically:

- Developed their own support systems in accordance with the basic principles of the IASC, separated their own position from that of their organizations in the system of psychosocial assistance, taking into account the basic tenets of coordination of affairs system.

- During the first day, 10 people expressed a desire to join the coordination of affairs system in Ukraine.

- Developed a community mobilization, reintegration and unification program based on experience in their own communities, located problems and difficulties, and developed and mapped out possible ways to overcome them.

- During the first day of the training, participants learned 6 exercises, including role-play "Coordination", role-play "Community Mobilization", exercise "Lifeline", role-play "Intervention without Intervening", exercise "Pyramid of intervention", technique "Participant’s conception".

During the second day, participants got acquainted with the multidisciplinary approach and case management in the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). They developed and adapted a multidisciplinary approach to their own communities using the examples from practical exercises and techniques, and also adjusted the case management system to their professional activities, worked out the practices and exercises on working with people affected by emergencies.

On the third day of the training, participants familiarized themselves with the concept of human resources and the personnel support system in the process of working in an emergency.

"As far as the participants' comments is concerned, they noted a high level of organization of the training, which had a positive effect on the assimilation of the material and the trainers' strong knowledge of the provided material", the trainers summed up.

The training-course was implemented within the "Crisis prevention and Peace building in Ukraine – Time to Act!" project, supported with German Federal Foreign Office’s funds by IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), Funding programme zivik.