Many Ukrainians left the conflict areas as soon as the major fighting started and sought safety in minor towns in the country’s western regions, a UNDP press release states.
In addition to humanitarian requirements, those who relocate to the west of the country frequently need support and assistance with their mental health. However, because of their isolation from regional hubs and major cities, small villages sometimes lack specialists who could offer basic psychological support.
In order to address this problem, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine started a pilot project to train school psychologists in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia oblasts. The goal of this project was to build a long-lasting network of psychological support for refugees, veterans’ families, and other vulnerable people living in these communities.
For school psychologists in these regions, UNDP purchased and transferred 58 modern tablets using money from the Government of Canada.
The “Psychologist’s Package” application, created by UNDP in 2021 with funding from the Government of the Netherlands, is intended to give users access to cutting-edge methodical materials on psychosomatic procedures all in one device and has already been downloaded and installed on tablets. With the aid of this program, experts may swiftly recognize the most prevalent issues—such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder—and devise a strategy for first therapy. The program was created with assistance from the “Development Foundation” NGO, the Ukrainian Ministry of Veterans Affairs, Wesleyan University in the United States, “Self-Help Communities,” and Indeema Software Incorporated.
The eagerness of school psychologists from towns in western Ukraine to study and assist those in need was observed by Jaco Cilliers, the interim UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine. No matter where they are—in large cities or remote villages—all Ukrainians should have easier access to competent assistance, Cilliers promised.
Under the direction of UNDP and within the parameters of the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, engagement with school psychologists continues.
