With the support of the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine (@OSCE.Ukraine.Projects), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine the second stage of the project international technical assistance "Building the training capacity of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine on psychological support in extreme situations" took place at Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs. 

As the Rector of the university Valerii Sokurenko noted, “this training provides an opportunity to master the tools, new methods, new tools that our international partners have. It is access to new technologies that are necessary for us and that will make us more powerful, professional and mobile''. 

Nina Lihun, the Head of the Psychological Support Department of the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, noted the importance of constantly improving the professional knowledge and practical skills of psychologists to form a strong practical potential of all services of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system. She stressed that this project is aimed primarily at preserving the mental health of the nation, and the first training of this project took place last year at Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs.

For five days, psychologists from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, authorities of executive power mastered modern therapeutic techniques to work with trauma, stress and its consequences.

According to the OSCE expert on psychological rehabilitation, the trainer, senior researcher at the Institute of Psychology named after H.S. Kostiuk NAPS of Ukraine, psychotherapist, participant in hostilities Liudmyla Tsarenko, the training is attended by experienced, highly professional psychologists, "who have many years of experience working with people in difficult psychological states andthat is why participants in this training achieve the desired resultvery quickly, ask many questions.They are not afraid to experiment, because they understand why they need it''. Liudmyla Tsarenko is convinced that most of the participants will become supervisors in the systems they represent, will support and teach younger colleagues, pass on their experience.These are the first steps towards creating a new system of care that will be based on mutual support and mutual assistance between psychologists.

OSCE expert on psychological rehabilitation, trauma-focused therapist, trainer, psychologist of the Mental Rehabilitation Center of Khmelnytskyi City Medical and Diagnostic Center Maryna Malynovska emphasizes that life changes every minute, so people who work in structures stand on the advanced security of our state. "Today we are at the origins of a historic moment when the state system and the civil society system are converging. With the help of the OSCE Coordinator, we managed to implement such a powerful project that really takes into account these changes. Today we are creating a new history - the history of creating a psychological service in law enforcement agencies. "

It is not the first time that Yulia Falieieva, a psychologist at the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Poltava Region, takes part in this training and emphasizes that it is valuable precisely because it has a practical focus: what we do right and what we don't. We have learned to work with stress and have mastered effective techniques that help people in stress. "

Serhii Hrynenko, National Project Manager and OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, stressed that work in this direction would continue and new projects are expected. "For the second year in a row, at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, we are implementing a project to provide psychological support in crisis situations. This year we are completing the second stage. We will have another group with teachers from the universities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, after which we will develop appropriate materials and guidelines. This will be a ready course for the introduction of the system of  the Ministry of Internal Affairs into the educational process in higher education institutions" Serhii Hrynenko said.

Upon completion of the training, participants received certificates presented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, Ambassador Henrik Villadsen. He thanked long-term partners on many security initiatives for fruitful cooperation, namely the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs, coaches and assured that cooperation will continue and not only on psychological rehabilitation. Henrik Villadsen also expressed hope that the knowledge gained by the participants during the training will be useful in their further professional activities.

Valerii Sokurenko thanked the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine, Ambassador Henrik Villadsen, for his support, cooperation and understanding of current issues. On the same day, the OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine got acquainted with the material and technical base of the University.

Department of Public Relations of KhNUIA