MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE CRISIS CENTER

Bogomolets National Medical University

Our country faces a complicated socio-political situation and growing responsibility of all professionals who can positively influence the processes that cause stress conditions of the population, and most importantly above all help people not just survive, preserving their valuable quality, and develop their potential and, thus, initiate positive changes in society. ‘

The staff of Kostyuk Institute of Psychology and the staff of the Department of General and Medical Psychology and Pedagogy of Bogomolets National Medical University, has been actively involved in providing psychological assistance to compatriots, government and force structures since first days of difficult situation.

During several months of confrontation on the Maidan more than 20 scientists of the Institute and the staff of the Department of General and Medical Psychology and Pedagogy of Bogomolets National Medical University regularly gave assistance to participants of the Maidan on volunteer terms. Permanent “Medical and psychological assistance Crisis Center” was created on the basis of this group by combined efforts of Kostyuk Institute of Psychology and the staff of the Department of General and Medical Psychology and Pedagogy of Bogomolets National Medical University, with support of the Association of Psychologists of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Association of Physicians and Psychologists, the decision of the Academic Council of the Institute (Minutes #1 dated 03.02.2014) and the Academic Council of Medical Psychology Faculty at Bogomolets NMU (Minutes #6 dated 13.02.2014).

Academician of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Director of Kostyuk Institute of Psychology, Dean of Medical Psychology Faculty of Bogomolets NMU, Doctor of Psychology, Professor Sergiy Maksymenko became organizer and scientific advisor to the Center.

It was organized selection, education and professional training of volunteers to work in Crisis Center (30 persons) and “Hotlines” (36 pers.), and opened a hot line “Hotlines” with volunteers working all around the clock (3 lines, basic mobile operators) and ocular providing psychological counseling and resident psychological counseling and psychological assistance to the citizens on free at the Institute of General and Medical Psychology and Pedagogy of Bogomolets National Medical University.

Help in Crisis Center is available in the following areas:

•              Emergency counseling and information assistance to people who are in crisis state or problem situation.

·                   Counseling and psychological, psychotherapeutic, psycho-corrective assistance to children, parents and adults (individual and group work);

·                   Specialization of volunteers, psychologists and social workers to work with acute trauma and posttraumatic syndrome.

Also, in March Academic Council of the Institute of Psychology (Minutes #3 dated 27.03.2014.) and the Academic Council of Medical Psychology Faculty of Bogomolets National Medical University (Minutes #7 dated 13.03.2014) took the decision on the organization of scientific, psychological and practical assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine because of the real threat to the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine and realizing the need to strengthen the scientific and practical potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the field of psychological and humanitarian spheres, and to enhance the effectiveness of psychological support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to counter military aggression and terrorist groups.

Pursuant to this decision:

1.                The volunteer group was formed to provide scientific, psychological and practical assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

2.                Scientific and practical cooperation with the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has been organized (on the basis of the appeals of Administration of the State Border Service of Ukraine dated 05.29.2014);

3.                The agreement on cooperation with the Research Centre of the humanitarian problems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (based on requests of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Main directorate on work with the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine dated 06.17.2014 and 07.08.2014). The subject of the agreement was cooperation in the field of practical, analytical, methodological and methodical aspects of psychological assistance of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in terms of combating hybrid military aggression.

In connection with the decision on the organization of scientific, psychological and practical assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine the work of “Medical and psychological assistance crisis center” was supplemented with the following practical measures:

1.                Guidance and psychognostic work with the military psychologists and servicemen:

•              diagnostics of negative psychological states and disorders in soldiers, caused by participation in armed conflict;

•              methodological support of psychological rehabilitation of servicemen;

•              methodological support of training of military psychologists;

•              psycho-analytical and psycho-predictive work etc.

2.                Conducting complex psychological and social measures aimed at prevention and rehabilitation work with military personnel:

•              informing servicemen and officers regarding acute trauma and its effects with the object of prevention;

•              training skills of the first psychological assistance to each other;

•              training military psychologists to work in military actions conditions (work with mass acute trauma);

•              conducting individual and group work with current military problems;

•              psychological support of military forces that are preparing to departure to the combat zone.

3.                Counseling and psychotherapeutic work:

•              psychotherapeutic follow-up of wounded soldiers who participated in the operative-combat actions;

•              work with posttraumatic syndrome;

•              work with the families of the victims.

In June at scientific councils of the Institute and Medical Psychology Faculty of Bogomolets NMU it was decided to create a mobile group of volunteers from Kostyuk Institute of Psychology of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine and the Department of General and Medical psychology and pedagogy ay Bogomolets NMU (Minutes #6 dated  June 26,2014, Minutes #10 dated June 26, 2014) to participate in the organization of group and individual work, delivering psychological support to participants of counterterrorist operations.

It was created three free-lance group of psychological support for implementation actions, planned by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (№ 335/3555 dated 08.07.2014), in order to improve the moral and psychological support, recovery of moral and psychological state of personnel defined military units and provide effective assistance in solving problems while performing tasks for the purpose intended.

Practical and research results are expected as a result of the activities outlined above:

•              improvement of the effective while delivering psychological services to citizens in conditions of modern hybrid war (services availability at any time throughout Ukraine);

•              removal of emotional stress and increase of social adaptation of the population in Kyiv, Ukraine;

•              providing qualified psychological help to people who are in crisis situations, post-traumatic conditions etc;

•              prevention of suicide and crisis conditions.

Contacts:

Pankivska Str., 2, office.3

Business hours: every weekday from 11 to 18, for free,

tel. 044 288-33-85

Pushkinska Str., 22, Pharmaceutical building of National Medical University, 2^nd floor, the Department of General and Medical Psychology and Pedagogy, office 203

Business hours: every weekday from 11 to 18, for free, under condition of pre-registration

tel. 050 773 11 58

044 288 33 48, 099 632 18 18, 093 609 30 03, 068 770 3 770

Dean of Medical Psychology Faculty

of Bogomolets National Medical University

Director

of Kostyuk Institute of Psychology

Academician of the National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine

Doctor of Psychology, Professor

Sergiy Maksymenko