Faith leaders join psychological first aid initiative to help address mental health challenges in Ukraine’s war-torn regions

Lviv, Ukraine – Twenty-eight church and youth leaders and volunteers participate in the preparation to launch the first Psychological First Aid for Faith Leaders in Ukraine. World Vision, and extensively the humanitarian community, recognizes the crucial role of faith leaders being the preferred go-to actors for emotional support of the internally-displaced and most vulnerable population.

They also effectively fill the gap in formal systems that are typically unavailable in remote areas including in newly accessible areas that were previously occupied. “The faith leaders are the key actors for the work World Vision is doing in Ukraine”, says Blerina Lako, Chief of Party of World Vision’s project funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, ACTED Ukraine and the Ukraine Response Consortium.

Under the project, the faith leaders from various religious groups and spiritual persuasions have been trained on evidence-based low intensity psychological interventions. Following the training, they delivered interventions in child friendly spaces, play and learning hubs, and service centers set up conveniently in their own churches.

Lako adds, “It is important for us to work with them to support children and communities in building their resilience. Seeing the passion of faith leaders in this workshop, I am optimistic that we both will support the mental health and psycho-social well-being of people in Ukraine.”

Recently, they re-convened in Lviv for a Reflection and Consultation Workshop on Faith-Sensitive MHPSS.  The event aims to draw lessons and insights on how faith leaders and faith communities can be capacitated and effectively serve as an entry point to deliver MHPSS services to children and families in fragile contexts.

We provide holistic support to promote the well-being of children and their families which is considered an integral aspect of well-being is one’s faith and spirituality. It serves as a protective factor that allows people affected by crisis to continue to hope for the future and be resilient.

"In World Vision, we provide holistic support to promote the well-being of children and their families which is considered an integral aspect of well-being is one’s faith and spirituality. It serves as a protective factor that allows people affected by crisis to continue to hope for the future and be resilient", explains Aladin Borja, World Vision's Technical Advisor on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS).

Participants to the various courses in this project include pastors, priests, bishops, ministry leaders, community volunteers, humanitarian aid organizations representatives, and case workers from the eastern, southern, central and western regions of Ukraine.

• The Express Course (virtual): This course consists of three, one-hour online sessions where adult participants learn how to build a supportive relationship with children and adults enduring hardships, including using art and play.  
• Entering the World of Children (face-to-face or virtual, depending on the context): This course consists of three, six-hour sessions where participants learn active listening, relational playing, and storytelling to support children in distress. The course includes a Training of Trainers track for participants who wish to become trainers themselves, which includes five, six-hour sessions. 
• Helping Children with Emotional Healing (face-to-face or virtual, depending on the context): Over five, six-hour sessions, participants will learn about the impact of distressing events on children and building a healing relationship through therapeutic art and play

Borja adds, "By building the capacity of the faith leaders, we make critical MHPSS interventions available and accessible to those who need them. World Vision's faith-sensitive approach respects and includes diverse religious and spiritual persuasions. It’s encouraging to see various faith representatives from different oblasts contribute in this workshop.”

For more, please check World Vision's work on Faith and Development.