Building capacity of organizations and specialists to provide social services and socio-psychological help and support to Ukrainian people during the war
GOAL
Development and strengthening of the capacity of organizations and specialists who provide social services to the population during the war – through professional competencies and prevention of emotional burnout.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Managers, leaders of social organizations, volunteers; social workers, psychologists, foster parents; people whose lives were affected by the war.
DURATION
September 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023.
EXPECTED RESULTS
specialists underwent our training and developed competence in working with families with children during the war
specialists have undergone training in the prevention of emotional burnout, have tools to support emotional stability and professional efficiency
specialists underwent supervision and contributed to the improvement of their professional efficiency
people receive better social services from specialists who have passed our supervision
support groups were held for professionals in support professions and internally displaced persons and refugees
specialists and people affected by war attended support groups and developed their own resilience
people received psychological support and found ways out of the crisis
parents and specialists raised their awareness of supporting themselves and their children during the war and learned about our measures with the help of an information campaign within the framework of the project
Project activities
development of professional competences of specialists in the social sphere for working with children and families in the conditions and after the war
development of specialists’ competences in the prevention of professional burnout
conducting supervisions for specialists of organizations that provide social and psychological assistance to Ukrainians affected by the war
holding support groups for different target audiences: all people affected by the war and specialists (social workers, psychologists, volunteers and others)
provision of psychological counseling for all whose lives were affected by the war, for parents, pregnant women and women in labor
implementation of an information campaign
Development of professional competences of specialists in the social sphere for working with children and families in the conditions and after the war
In the conditions of war, specialists in the social sphere must develop special competencies for practical work with families with children. To do this, we conduct webinars for specialists and parents, as well as training within the framework of courses aimed at developing the necessary competencies, namely:
working with people who have experienced trauma, minimizing the consequences of a traumatic event
awareness of the source of resilience, one’s own vitality and its development
working with bereavement and providing support to bereaved families and children
crisis communication with family, work with stress
family support during the war
For whom
social work specialists, social workers, psychologists, managers and specialists of charitable, public and religious organizations, volunteers, church leaders
Format
5 online training sessions (2 hours each)
Development of specialists’ competences in the prevention of professional burnout
Wartime specialists deal with hundreds of customer requests daily, most of which are complex. Since the specialists themselves live during the war, the risk of secondary trauma increases. Therefore, there is a need to prevent emotional and professional burnout from having the resources to provide high-quality social and psychological services to the population.
For this purpose, we have developed the educational program “Burn out prevention”.
As a result of training, participants:
know how to identify signs of emotional burnout and know how to prevent it
know how to recognize the symptoms of secondary traumatic stress
understand the concept of “resilience” and possess effective tools for the formation and development of their own resilience
understand what supervision and introspection are, their importance as a tool for professional development and prevention of emotional burnout
understand how the group supervision format works
Conducting supervision for specialists of organizations that provide social and psychological assistance to Ukrainians affected by the war
We conduct supervisions for social work specialists so that they have the resources to continue providing high-quality social and psychological services to families with children, Ukrainians affected by the war. By supporting specialists, we develop the capacity of organizations.
We provide supervision in various formats:
group supervisions ordered by organizations
individual supervision for specialists ordered by organizations
thematic supervised groups (for specialists who work with internally displaced persons, with specialists who work with military personnel)
SUPPORT GROUPS FOR SPECIALISTS AND ALL PEOPLE AFFECTED BY WAR
For specialists who work with victims of war
the group is complete
During the war, specialists in auxiliary professions worked with many requests from people, so the workload for them increased many times. This can lead to the depletion of resources and a decrease in the energy level of social sector specialists because the specialists themselves are in a crisis. The risks of secondary traumatization when working with clients who experienced traumatic events during the war are very high.
For all those affected by the war
the group is open
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russian troops on the territory of Ukraine, many people found themselves in a state of crisis. The loss of work, property and the usual way of life harms the psycho-emotional state. Support groups help participants find people going through similar events and reduce the effects of traumatic events.
For women whose husbands are at war
the group is open
Due to the war, many Ukrainian men went to war. Their families were left alone with many hardships caused by the war. Some women went abroad, and some stayed in Ukraine, but each feels constant worries about their husband, children and future. Support groups allow women to talk about their fears and feel they are not alone. The first four meetings are open, and then the group has a closed format, with an endless list of participants and no possibility of joining new people. The topic of experiencing separation for women is quite intimate, so this format makes it possible to create a more private atmosphere and a trusting circle of communication.
For women whose relatives are in captivity or missing
the group is open
Women, girls, and mothers waiting for their loved ones from captivity can often be in a state of despair and desolation; day after day walk the path of uncertainty and expectations. The opportunity to join a safe space where each of the women can open up, share their experience, and how to walk this path – helps to support each other and find the resource to live life further.
WHAT DO SUPPORT GROUPS PROVIDE?
self-help techniques and working with clients
stabilization of the psycho-emotional state
resources and ways to meet your needs and care for yourself
strength and resource to carry on with everyday life while a man is at war
sharing experiences with other participants
CONSULTATION OF A PSYCHOLOGIST FOR ALL WHO NEED PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP AND SUPPORT DURING WAR
With the beginning of the war, a large number of the population of Ukraine found themselves in a situation of experiencing traumatic events: separation, loss of loved ones, housing, property, work, lack of finances to support themselves and their children, and loss of control over their own lives. Fear, despair, apathy, anxiety, loss of meaning, panic attacks — many people experience such consequences. Consultation with a psychologist will help balance the psycho-emotional state and find internal resources and self-help tools.
WHO CAN APPLY?
people whose lives were affected by the war
internally displaced persons and refugees
children
parents of children of different ages
pregnant women and women in labor
Conducting an information campaign
With the help of the website and social networks, the information campaign developed as part of the project; raised the awareness of specialists and parents about the issues of supporting themselves and their children during the war. And also – inform them about all activities within the framework of the project, in which they can join – training, support groups, supervision, and the opportunity to receive psychological consultations.
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Interim report for the project
