Three Years — Three Key Dates: The Development of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

During the three years of the full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian Red Cross Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit has been tirelessly providing psychological support to those in need, helping people cope with the effects of war and recover in challenging circumstances.

• 17 July 2022. Opening of the First Psychosocial Support Centre
  Uzhhorod city

The first Psychosocial Support Centre in Ukraine was opened in response to the large influx of internally displaced persons arriving in the Zakarpattia region. Since the first year of the full-scale invasion, the Centre has been providing psychological and psychosocial assistance to children, youth, and adults who need support during these difficult times.

• October 2022. The First Deployment of Volunteers from the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit to Respond to the Emergency
  Chernivtsi region

Volunteers from the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit joined the response alongside the emergency response teams of the Chernivtsi regional branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross. They assisted with the evacuation of a neuropsychiatric residential care facility from the Kupiansk district. Volunteers accompanied the evacuees from the railway station to healthcare facilities in the Chernivtsi region, providing them with psychological first aid (PFA).

• June 2023. Participation of Volunteers from the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit in the Meeting of Evacuation Trains and Buses
  Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Khmelnytskyi regions

Volunteers from the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit took part in meeting evacuation trains and buses carrying people affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. Volunteers provided psychological first aid (PFA) to adults and offered basic psychosocial support to children as they awaited registration and processing. In total, over 600 people received psychological first aid and support during the evacuation.

Thanks to the ongoing support of volunteers, those who have survived the terrible events of the war receive the necessary psychological assistance, helping them not only survive the crisis but also regain their strength on the path to restoring their inner balance.