Common Threads Project has partnered with a Polish-based organization Humandoc, and two associated Ukrainian organizations, Mariupol Association of Women Bereginya and Bereginya Pawlopole. Our program’s current focus is on supporting mental health care workers during this time of crisis and developing partnerships for future work in trauma recovery.
Background
In 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the time since, nearly one-third of Ukraine’s population have been forced to flee their homes—the majority of whom are women.
Mental health workers have been called upon to respond to this crisis.
Our partners in the region serve those displaced by the war— both as refugees in Poland and internally displaced inside Ukraine. The staff are social care professionals, psychologists, lawyers and psychosocial workers who provide multidimensional support to survivors. Most of these specialists are refugees themselves.
OUR WORK TODAY
In June 2023, Common Threads Project began a series of virtual stress management and burnout prevention workshops.
Over the course of 8 sessions, staff at our partnering organizations learned creative methods for self care and managing trauma.
As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the trend seen in other conflicts will likely present itself to these professionals as well: survivors of sexual violence will emerge and they will need long-term trauma healing.
We will continue collaborating with partners in the region to support mental health workers on the frontline and prepare for a full CTP program when the situation stabilizes.