People fleeing war and conflicts might be of need of assistance to cope with the new and old situations they might have experienced in their war-torn country and on their run to a place of refuge. They are often challenged to build their social life from scratch.

To help war-affected people from Ukraine, IPčko as IOM´s implementing partner provides mental health and psychosocial support to teenagers, adults and elderly people who fled this war and are currently living in the Gabcikovo Accomodation Facility. To reestablish trust, create a safe environment and build community engagement, regular psychosocial and community activities including art therapy, music therapy and virtual reality take place in the facility.

A session with psychosocial and community activities, including virtual reality, took place in December 2022 with 10 participants. Photo © International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2022.

Psychologists and social workers of IPčko have been providing their counselling and assistance in all eight regions of Slovakia. Their services include psychological first aid, individual and group psychological counselling, socio-relational activities or psychoeducational sessions.

To date, more than 5,000 people in emergency situation have benefited from this mental health and psychosocial support.

With the support of: 

U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.