The event was organized on the basis of Dnipro State University of Internal Affairs within the framework of the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Mental Health for Ukraine” (MH4U), which supports the implementation of the reform of the mental health care sphere in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The event was opened and certificates to the participants upon completion of the training were presented by the assistant to the rector of DSUIA on gender issues Larysa Nalyvaiko. She congratulated those present on the World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated on October 10, emphasized that care for mental health is an integral component of the professional activity of specialists who daily work with children and support them, and wished the participants resilience, internal resources and inspiration.
16 employees of four communal educational institutions of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council took part in the training: the Communal Educational Institution “Special School No. 10” of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, the Communal Educational Institution “Multidisciplinary Educational and Rehabilitation Center “Zorianyi” of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, the Communal Educational Institution “Dnipropetrovsk Educational and Rehabilitation Center No. 1” of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council and the Communal Educational Institution “Lyceum “Synerhiia” of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council.
Among the participants – heads of institutions and pedagogical employees, whose activity is connected with the education, support and rehabilitation of applicants of education, in particular children with special educational needs.
The trainers of the event were the head of the department of psychological support of DSUIA Serhii Vyshnevskyi and psychologist Hanna Mhlynets.
The training course is aimed at increasing awareness of mental well-being, developing a culture of care for mental health and forming practical skills of supporting oneself and others under conditions of martial law. Taking into account the specifics of the activity of the participating institutions, special attention was paid to the emotional load of specialists who work with children with special educational needs and their families, the prevention of professional burnout, as well as the establishment of constructive and safe interaction with parents and legal representatives of applicants of education.
A separate block considered aspects of mental health: peculiarities of the reactions of children and adults to acute and chronic stress, experienced traumatic experience, loss, forced displacement and prolonged uncertainty; the specifics of psychological support of applicants of education with special educational needs during air alarms, stay in shelters and changes in the usual educational environment; principles of first psychological aid to persons who suffered as a result of armed aggression.
The program of the course is based on advanced evidence-based practices and international standards (NICE, mhGAP of the WHO, Mental Health First Aid).
During the training, the participants mastered a practical 5-step model of communication, support and safe referral of persons to specialized specialists, studied algorithms for identifying signs of the most common mental health disorders, and also practiced effective exercises for psycho-emotional stabilization, self-help and counteraction to professional burnout.
Based on the results of completing the training, each participant received an official certificate and a work album with the application of support algorithms.
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