FGIP, together with the Czech National Institute for Mental Health and GIP-Tbilisi, has developed an on-line psychological aid program. The first Russian-language version, samopomoch, was developed in the fall of 2020 after the repressions started in Belarus. It provides advise to the general population via social media, resources for mental health professionals through a special website and provides free on-line consultations to Human Rights Defenders.
Since the war in Ukraine started, a similar program has been developed in Ukrainian. The platform provides guidance to both mental health professionals and the general population how to deal with the psychological consequences of the war. It advices how to maintain your mental health during times of crisis, what to do to combat e.g. panic, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts and also where to go in case professional help is needed. A team of Ukrainian speaking psychotrauma experts are answering the many dozens of requests for help on a daily basis. With a growing team of experts we direct people to professional help in surrounding countries and are now setting up a support program for first responders who are facing burnout and the risk of secondary trauma.
After several months of preparations and with financial support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Brothers’ Brother Foundation (BBF), FGIP and the Vilnius Mental Health Center established a crisis center for Ukrainian and Belarussian refugees in August 2022. Initially, we hired two psychiatrists from Mariopol and one nurse from Zhitomyr. The role of the Vilnius Psychotrauma Center is to provide specialized mental health care support to Ukrainian and Belarusian refugee communities in Lithuania (currently approximately 80,000 and 48,000 persons respectively), and to function as an interface between these communities and regular mental health care services.
We reached an agreement with the hospital so that FGIP would cover costs of salaries plus related expenses, while all expenses related to the premises would be covered by the hospital. The hospital also organized Lithuanian language courses, helped with initiating the process of medical registration in Lithuania, and added a part-time Lithuanian psychiatrist to supervise his Ukrainian colleagues and prescribe medication (Ukrainian doctors are not allowed to do so according to EU regulations).
For the center, the former Director’s office was refurbished, which resulted in three rooms, two for consultations and one for administration. All staff members were hired by the Vilnius Mental Health Center. FGIP covers costs of salaries plus related expenses, while all expenses related to the premises are covered by the hospital. The hospital also organized Lithuanian language courses, helped with initiating the process of medical registration in Lithuania, and added a part-time Lithuanian psychiatrist to supervise his Ukrainian colleagues and prescribe medication (Ukrainian doctors are not allowed to do so according to EU regulations).
In March 2023, we hired two more staff members: a Ukrainian psychiatrist from Kramatorsk, who took over from the adult psychiatrist from Mariopol who went on a 4-6 month maternity leave; and a Belarusian psychiatrist from Minsk who is expected to concentrate on a significant number of Belarusian clients (mostly victims of State repression and political refugees).
As of May 2023, the newly hired psychiatrist, Olesya Morozova (originally from Kramatorsk) also consults the two rehabilitation centers for military in Lithuania, which provide rehabilitation to Ukrainian military but do not have a psychological support program.
