The presentation was moderated by the head of the working group for the development of the Program, the head of the Coordination Center for the support of the civilian population at the Lviv OVA, the adviser to the head of the Lviv OVA Halyna Bordun.
The day before, on September 22, at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, a presentation of the Comprehensive Program for the Protection of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support of the Civilian Population in the Lviv Region for 2023-2026 was held, which was developed by a working group created under the Lviv Regional Military Administration. The program was approved by the order of the head of Lviv OVA No. 795/0/5-23BA dated September 5, 2023.
During the presentation, members of the working group, key executors of the Program, representatives of the educational, medical environment, social sphere, clergy and professional environment of psychologists, psychotherapists, psychiatrists, representatives of all levels of government discussed the relevance of the development of the Program and the importance of focusing attention on mental health care in a period of full-scale war. It concerns, first of all, the psychological rehabilitation of defenders, psychological assistance to members of their families, people who received physical or psychological injuries as a result of the war, as well as to all Ukrainians who are experiencing stress in war conditions (in particular, children) and all those who needs such help. In connection with the challenges brought by the war, psychological help should become more accessible in the Lviv region.
Among the participants of the presentation are the Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk (online), Deputy Minister of Social Policy Ulyana Tokareva (online), Deputy Minister of Education and Science Andriy Vitrenko (online), Deputy Minister of Health Marina Slobodnichenko (online ).
As Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv OVA, noted during the presentation of the Program, the issue of mental health affects each of us, our state and our society as a whole. And if we do not pay due attention to this issue, it will be very difficult to live in such a state.
The head of Lviv Oblast also thanked First Lady Olena Zelenska for the initiative in solving a problem that was often avoided and not discussed in Ukraine – concern for mental health and psychological state.
“How are you?” (the name of the All-Ukrainian mental health support program of the same name, implemented at the initiative of the First Lady – ed.) is actually very deep. When we put it to ourselves, first of all we have to answer whether we are ready to change. The issue of mental health is extremely important, and when we talk about education, support, medicine – it is certainly not enough. We should also talk about the spiritual sphere.
The main implementers of the program in the regional administration are three departments – health care; education and science; social protection of the population. These are the spheres in which welfare, first of all, ensures the desire of citizens to live in the state. Coordination, monitoring and support during the implementation of the Program will be provided by the Coordination Center for the Support of the Civilian Population at the Lviv OVA.
In addition, I would like to thank the charitable organizations that actively participated in the process of providing psychological assistance to Ukrainians who are currently in Lviv region – both residents of the region and internally displaced persons.
This Program will give people the opportunity to believe in their own strength, in Ukraine, in the inevitability of victory. I hope that the Program will give us the opportunity to help people and help us unite together in common aspirations and love for people. Thank you to everyone who joined the development and implementation of the Program,” Maksym Kozytskyi said.
Speakers during the presentation were psychologists, psychotherapists, social work specialists who participated in the development of the Program. In particular, Orest Suvalo – deputy head of the working group for the development of the Program; coordinator of the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Mental Health for Ukraine”, executive director of the Institute of Mental Health of UCU; Oleg Romanchuk – psychotherapist, child psychiatrist of the “Family Circle” center, director of the Institute of Mental Health of UCU and the Ukrainian Institute of CBT; Svitlana Kogut – dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences of UCU.
In addition, among the speakers of the event there are also people who in real life have encountered the need for psychological support or are currently working in a field that requires knowledge of social work and psychology, in particular, the wife of the fallen defender Pavlyna Volovetska, the abbot of the Garrison Church of St. Apostles Paul and Peter UGCC Fr. Taras Mykhalchuk, child psychologist Olga Ivanenko, leader of the “Parents for Parents” movement, which unites children with disabilities, Lyudmila Anich and founding dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences of UCU, first vice-rector of UCU Yaroslav Prytula.
The head of the working group for the development of the Program, the head of the Coordination Center for the support of the civilian population at LOVA, the moderator of the event, Halyna Bordun, told how the Program was created and which projects became the basis for its development.
“For first aid, a person needs a kind word, support, honest information, and correct information