Take care, be aware

"Beyond trauma: Scaling up community mental health care for children and youth at risk in Ukraine's conflict affected communities" ("Take care, be aware") is a three-year project on Health Recovery, focusing on Chernivtsi, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi and Sumy oblasts is aimed at

• strengthening the ability of community-based and primary healthcare institutions to provide Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS);
• reducing barriers to accessing mental health services for communities; and
• reducing distress levels and improving the well-being among communities.

The project addresses the need for better, local mental healthcare services and stigma reduction in targeted areas in Ukraine, with a special focus on children and youth.

During the project, the consortium partners will transfer knowledge, share a comprehensive package of evidence-based mental health methodologies and renovate 11 local health and community centers. In applying this comprehensive approach, they will build the capacity of staff at local community and healthcare centers to recognize and deal with mental health problems (including mhGAP and PM+). Barriers to accessing mental health services will be addressed by working with young people on stigma reduction, sexual and reproductive health and by encouraging help-seeking behavior for children and adolescents. To improve psychosocial well-being levels among communities, partners will engage with youth groups and support adolescents and caregivers through evidence-based methodologies such as EASE, BeThere and PM+.