On 15-17 April the Project “Internal Displacement in Ukraine: Building Solutions” in cooperation with Israel Trauma Coalition organized a study visit on psychosocial support to conflict-affected population in Israel.

The visit illustrates sustainability of cooperation between key state actors and international organizations in searching for system approaches to support internally displaced persons in Ukraine.

In 2015-2017 the Council of Europe implemented a number of activities aimed at capacity building of state institutions, psychologists and psychiatrists through increasing efficiency of the existing treatment practices with a focus on treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Namely, the visit of Ukrainian national policy makers to study the practice of psychosocial support provided by Israel Trauma Coalition was organized in 2016.

Developing upon the outcomes gained during the mentioned activities in 2015-2017, the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine in 2018 initiated the pilot project on “Psychosocial support to conflict-affected population in Ukraine” in frames of Ukraine Multi-Partner Trust Fund on Peacebuilding and Recovery financing administered by the World Bank.

In the frame of this pilot project in 2018-2019, Israel Trauma Coalition facilitates the program of strengthening the community resilience in Mariupol city, Donetsk Oblast and in Severodonetsk city, Luhansk Oblast. In the frame of this pilot project in 2018-2019, Israel Trauma Coalition facilitates the program of strengthening the community resilience in Mariupol city, Donetsk Oblast and in Severodonetsk city, Luhansk Oblast. By building infrastructure and network, the program aims to help locals prepare, cope, and respond to emergencies in a timely fashion, thereby improving their wellbeing in the long term. The program will also strengthen community resilience by identifying gaps in psychosocial services and develop sub-programs to assist those who suffer from anxiety, trauma or grief on an individual, family and community level.

In order to amplify the synergy of the activities of the World Bank and Council of Europe, the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine addressed the Council of Europe to organize a visit to study good practices that are implemented in Israel in the field of psychosocial support of IDPs and affected population.

Ukrainian delegation visited Israel 15-17 April 2019 and got acquainted with the structure of Israel Resilience Centres, its positive achievements as well as lessons learned.

Participants represented high management of the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons of Ukraine, Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine as well as municipalities and social services of Donetsk and Luhansk region gained the competencies allowing them to strengthen their approaches towards protection of conflict-affected population to be applied in daily practice in Ukraine.

The outcomes of the visit will be followed both by the Council of Europe Project and project “Psychosocial support to conflict-affected population in Ukraine” supported by the World Bank.