Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (SMTC)

international meeting, 2019:

"Program decisions and coordination,

Advocacy and Partnership for the PCWSP ”

The meeting was held on International Suicide Prevention Day - September 10, 2019. The International Medical Corps (IMC), the NGO Development Foundation and the Technical Working Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) of Ukraine organized this international working meeting within the framework of the final event of the Mental Health Without Prejudice project and with the support of Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy Kyiv Ukraine and USAID Ukraine - USAID Ukraine.

27 agencies and international missions came in Kramatorsk for a meeting at the United Nations / UN Office (1 Aero Club, 1):

Ministry of Health, Humanitarian Mission Proliska, NDSAN, NGO Development Foundation, Red Cross Society, Institute of Neuropsychotherapy Vienna, IOM / IOM, Polish Humanitarian Action, Protection Officer - Ukraine (Slovyansk) Danish Refugee Council, Danish Demining Group Websites, The Center for Mind-Body, ALL-UKRAINIAN PATRIOTIVE COMBATANT, All Ukrainian Association of Palliative and Hospice Care, United Nations Population Fund, Mobile Mental Health Brigade, HelpAge International, People in Need, Kyiv-Svyatoshynskyi Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation, NGO PROMYR, OTReg . (Ont.), Terre des Homme (TdH), Dejawy Studio, Child Protection Field Officer (Terre des hommes) TDH, ADRA, Department of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs in Donetsk region, TOT and IDPs, UNHCR, Promir, Mobile Mental Health Brigade at WHO Slaviansk Regional Psychiatric Hospital, Save the Schildren.

At the meeting were highlighted the local and global activities aimed at addressing the needs of SMTCs, reducing mental health stigma and promoting MHPSS services.

The event also fostered the exchange of experience on international MHPSS advocacy guidelines and examples of achievements and challenges in global and local MHPSS advocacy efforts.

In order to develop a plan of joint action on mental health advocacy and to respond to the catastrophic situation in the psychosocial sphere in the East of Ukraine where the war is "underway," the following topics were covered in the event:

Association of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Occupied Territories and IDPs (Dovzhenko Artem, Chief Sector Specialist in Donetsk Region)

Challenges and gaps identified in the system of psychosocial assistance in the implementation of the project "Mental Health Without Prejudice(Vitaliy Kharechko, NGO Development Foundation).

• Prospects for the introduction of psychiatric services in Ukraine at a non-specialized level (Alexei Sukhov, MHP of Ukraine)
• New Approaches to the Treatment and Prevention of Chronic Pain and Post-Traumatic Diseases of Veterans and Soldiers of the Russo-Ukrainian War (Thomas Weber, Institute of Neuropsychotherapy Vienna).
• Work of mobile psychologicalteams "People in Need" and hotline for East and Ukraine (Daria Kuznetsova, "People in Need")
• Introducing psychological promotion to overcome prejudice, prevent stigma in isolated communities for long stay near the demarcation line in the East (Inna Dola, "Proliska" Humanitarian Mission)
• Specificity of providing psychosocial support to the Polish Mission in Ukraine (Olena Prokhorova, Separate Unit of the International Organization "Polish Humanitarian Action Branch in Ukraine" PSS Officer)
• Reintegration of veterans and their families into civic life in the process of project implementation in Lviv, Sichel and Kyiv oblasts (Olga Lyuta, IOM)
• Global work on PCSPF and advocates in the world (Andrew Jones, International Medical Corps)
• Working with the Elderly and Important Questionnaire to Collect Data on Disability of the Washington Group (Victoria Panchenko, HelpAge International)
• Self-help and group support for the generation of affected population for recovery from psychological trauma war (James S. Gordon, MD, Psychiatrist, Global Trauma Relief, USA)

Resocialization and psychological adaptation practices borrowed from the United States, as well as developed resources for integrated assistance to veterans (Oleksandr Kakhovsky, All-Ukrainian Association of Patriots Combatant)

Experience of PSP programs implemented in Donetsk region by the Red Cross (Anastasia Zhidkova, NGO Development Foundation and Red Cross Society of Ukraine)

Gender mediation for supportive long-term care, as well as programs for families (Svetlana Starigina, All-Ukrainian Association for Palliative Care and Hospital Assistance)

Important results of the MHPSS meetup 2019 Kramatorsk were voiced by several agencies about the need for internal and external mental health advocacy (regardless of the direction of the agency's activities). Advocacy also included measures aimed at preventing burnout, understanding and ways of promoting inter-institutional cooperation (including coordination meetings such as the one held and the Technical MHPSS Group).

✔ Announcement of the event on the official website "Mental Health Without Prejudice on Facebook": https://www.facebook.com/events/1973472832752195/

✔ Video from the international meeting on YouTube - channel "Strong in spirit": https://youtu.be/OFw4DCafkTo

✔ Photo of the event: https://www.facebook.com/pg/foundationdvcom/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1357971454366353

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