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Since August 2022, IPčko as the IOM´s implementing partner has provided psychosocial assistance and counselling to 1,118 people who fled the war in Ukraine, mostly women and children, in 20 towns in Slovakia. Many of them are assisted repeatedly.

IOM and IPčko promoted their provision of mental health and psychosocial support at the joint press conference on 19 October 2022 in Bratislava. 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. The help is anonymous, free of charge and nonstop, people in need can call to the crisis helpline operated in the Ukrainian language 0800 500 888 or send an email to Táto e-mailová adresa je chránená pred spamovacími robotmi. Na jej zobrazenie potrebujete mať nainštalovaný JavaScript..

Ukrainians, employees of municipalities and helping organizations, operators of accommodation facilities for refugees, and also individuals who help people in need from Ukraine can address their need to one of the Káčko – crisis intervention centres in regional towns, or also request the help of one of the eight mobile teams that will visit them.

“IPčko teams provide assistance on individual, family and community level. The communities also join the activities which has a positive impact on mental health and decreasing psychological and social vulnerability,” said Marek Madro, director of IPčko.

The vital need for psychosocial help is also confirmed by the statements of people that fled the war in Ukraine and arrived to Slovakia. As results from the IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix Reports, based on interviews on mobility, needs and intentions of Ukrainian refugees and third-country nationals arriving to Slovakia, psychological counselling belongs to least covered areas of support to displaced people from Ukraine.

As part of the cooperation, IOM trained 41 psychologists and social workers of IPčko about IOM’s community-based approach to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) to people in emergency according to IOM guidelines and its experience from the field.

More information:

Provision of mental health and psychosocial support to people fleeing war in Ukraine

With the support of:

This activity was generously funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.