Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center opened Psychological Support Center in Mariupol

On March 21, at 11:00 the Psychological Support Center was opened in Mariupol as part of the project "Psychological help for children" of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center. 
"Rinat Akhmetov established the Humanitarian Center that is carrying out a very important mission. He helps Donbas civilians, the most vulnerable categories of population - elderly people and children, - she shared at the opening of the Center. Darya Kasyanova, Project Manager at Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center. - Psychological assistance is one of the Center's focus areas.
 
Today this the only large-scale project in Ukraine, which is aimed at providing the maximum support to the residents of NGCA and IDPs in getting over the psychological consequences of the war.
 
"According to the estimates of American researches, about 15-20% of witnesses and participants of military operations suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. This diagnosis can be avoided if to leave the areas of military actions on time, and find support at your new place, either work, or social protection. But we don't have it. And you can imagine, how many people fall in this category, this is a big number", – Alyona Lukyanchuk, Coordinator of Humanitarian Center's Psychological Service, says. 
 
Life has shown that nowadays we have no organized psychological help to people, who suffered in the course of war. The measures on social and psychological recovery and adaptation for children and teenagers, who have become the witnesses of tragedies, and adults, who lost their friends and relatives, are not provided by social security program for population at the state level. Due to these and other reasons it became necessary to establish the Center for social and psychological aid for adaptation of the aforementioned categories of population to the new life circumstances. This project provides training for 250 crisis psychologists, who will work with the "Trauma of War", including the new Center.
 
Mariupol Psychological Support Center is located in a well-known building that belongs to the local city council. Earlier this building hosted IDP Assistance Center. This was the place, where people requested help at the very beginning of military actions in Donbas. In February the building was repaired by efforts of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center and Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, today is ready for visitors.
The employees of Azovstal help their fellow countryman within their sphere of work in the projects of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center. I am sure that psychological service of the Humanitarian Center with help Mariupol children and their parents to cope with war trauma", - Igor Babek, Deputy Director for Social Issues at Azovstal, PJSC".

Metinvest have also made its contribution in the establishment of Psychological Support Center. "We understand the importance of Rinat Akhmetov's initiative, which is aimed at taking care of the health of our future generation, we put our hearts into it, to make the Center comfortable, - added Konstantin Voytsekhovsky, HR Director of Azovstal.
 
The Center has several well-equipped comfortable reception rooms for children and adults. There is a room for children group classes up to 12 people, a room for individual classes and a large training hall that can host 50 people. The Center is planned as co-working: it is an open space, where psychologists can come to communicate, exchange different techniques and share their experience. 

"The goal of the Center is to provide psychological help to the families, who faced problems and challenges during this war, - Darya Kasyanova says. - First of all, the Center will host the psychologists from Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center, who will hold individual and group classes for children and their parents. The psychologists from the Social Service Center for children and youth of Mariupol will also be drawn into active work.
Mariupol residents practically live on the contact line. Besides, there are many IDPs in the town. A possibility to get help from qualified psychologists is very important during this difficult time. Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center has already provided significant support for the treatment of those injured during the shelling in Vostochny micro-district. The new Center will be able to work with children's traumas that cannot be visually detected or healed with medications. Experienced psychologists will help children to overcome all the difficulties and cope with negative emotions in a game form.

"Our main goal besides the diagnostics is to increase stress resistance - to teach the kids to cope with their fears and provide them with self-regulation techniques, - Alyona Lukyanchuk says. - Experienced psychologists will use more complicated techniques, such as undoing of traumatic life events. And the kids will be taught in a game form what they shall do when they are scared, whom to address, how to breathe, where to hide and what to think about. A child must understand what to do in critical situation".
 
Considering the currents situation, the importance and the actuality of opening the Center can hardly be overestimated. Tatyana Lomakina, deputy mayor for the activities of council's executive body, emphasized: We would like to express our gratitude to Rinat Akhmetov. The timely psychological support will help the whole generation of Mariupol residents and other Donbas civilians in the future.
 
The Center will host 15 psychologists. The planned working schedule is 10.00 to 18.00 on workdays and Saturday group classes for children. To participate in group classes or to get an individual consultation, please pre-register at: 096-54-55-877, (0629) 543-846, Humanitarian Center's hotline: 0-800-509-001.

Mariupol Psychological Support Center is located at: 24a, Bohdana Khmelnytskoho blvd. Earlier this building hosted IDP Assistance Center. This was the place, where people requested help at the very beginning of military actions in Donbas.

Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center invites all the children and parents, who require psychological support, to join the classes.