Dial 0 800 331 916 for assistance; the hotline operates daily.
Alina Kudryashova is taking calls in the office of the Charitable Foundation “Rokada” in Lviv. @Rokada
“I was extremely worried when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started because I have family members serving in the army, and we went through very difficult times,” says Alina Kudryashova, a 28-year-old psychologist from Lviv. “After a few months, I regained my composure and recognized the importance of carrying on with life while staying resilient. I channelled my energy to my work.”
On 14 July 2022, Alina started her role as a psychologist and coordinator for the psychological hotline at the Rokada Charitable Foundation, which is a partner of the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Alina’s prior experience as a volunteer and trainer in telephone counseling with the Helpline of the Stavropigion Charitable Foundation proved invaluable to her new position, because Rokada was in the midst of launching a psychological support hotline.
The idea to establish this hotline emerged in July 2022 with the intention of extending psychological services, alongside in-person consultations, to people affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine, offering them prompt assistance. “There are several advantages to the telephone service line, – says Alina, elaborating on the numerous merits of the hotline. – At times, individuals are hesitant to discuss their issues face-to-face, preferring to remain anonymous. A telephone conversation facilitates this. Furthermore, the hotline operates in an emergency access mode, reachable from any part of the country.”
According to the Humanitarian Needs Overview 2023 in Ukraine, 22 percent of people affected by the full-scale escalation of the war on Ukraine have mental health disorders ranging from mild depression and anxiety to psychosis, and nearly one in ten people live with a moderate or severe condition. The traumatic events experienced by civilians and the experiences of displacement increase the risk of more severe and complex mental illnesses.
“Owing to the war, individuals are grappling with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, adjustment disorders, confusion, grief, psychosomatic issues, and feelings of guilt. Our hotline receives calls from people of all ages, including many older people. Parents also reach out, seeking guidance for their children. Occasionally, there are cases where people inadvertently contact our number seeking information about humanitarian aid, such as for example financial assistance, only to discover their actual need for psychological support. This is not unexpected, as the ramifications of war often leave profound vulnerabilities, unhealed wounds, or exacerbated challenges,” Alina explains.
Psychologists offer consultations covering this wide range of subjects, with crisis interventions being the most frequent. Alina illustrates, “Imagine a person who has returned to their city after displacement, only to find their home ravaged during shelling. They recount the harrowing sights before them, initiating the therapeutic process. Throughout these consultations, the focus shifts towards identifying inner resources and fostering motivation to enhance their psychological well-being. Sometimes, people grapple with a loss of life’s purpose, among many other issues.”
Alina adds that wide-spread internal displacement in the country constitutes a journey fraught with distinct challenges and emotional dimensions. Frequently, when people make that decision to leave their home, feelings of uncertainty and stress emerge. Queries regarding adjusting to new surroundings and beginning a new life are frequent topics of discussion on the hotline. Hotline psychologists help people to navigate these challenging situations through consultation and connecting those in need to additional support and social services.
“It can be about building new social connections, finding work opportunities, and starting a new routine,” says Alina. “But returning to their homes also has its specifics. This process can cause sadness and nostalgia because the changes that occurred during absence can change the perception of the place. People can feel a disconnect between memories and reality when their old home is no longer the same as it was left.”
The hotline team comprises ten psychologists, three men and seven women, including Alina, located in various cities across Ukraine: Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lutsk, Lviv, Rivne, and Ternopil. While most team members are local residents, some themselves were displaced by the war and faced similar challenges of the people they are now helping. Regular thematic training sessions and lectures are integral parts of their professional development. Alina elaborates, “We provide training to each psychologist through the ins and outs of telephone counseling, covering the entire spectrum from ‘A’ to ‘Z,’ as it entails its own nuances. Simultaneously, monthly supervision sessions with a psychotherapist help us to collectively address challenging cases and adopt the most effective assistance strategies. Additionally, an internal chat platform facilitates swift consultations with colleagues.”
Alina Kudryashova is with her team members in the office of the Charitable Foundation “Rokada” in Lviv. @Rokada
In her role as the hotline coordinator, Alina takes pride in her team and emphasizes the significance of team cohesion in their work. She explains, “We bolster one another and collaborate on consultations for callers facing complex situations. The team offers unwavering support, empathy, and mutual trust. I take immense pride in working with such seasoned professionals and remarkable colleagues.”
A distinguishing aspect of Rokada’s methodology is that psychologists engage in dual roles: they provide assistance on the hotline and conduct in-person counselling. Additionally, they partake in field missions at the raion and village level, engaging directly with affected people.
For example, immediately following the shelling in Lviv on 6 July, Rokada’s psychologists spent almost the whole night at the scene providing urgent psychological support to the building residents.
“In most cases, we can help a person immediately during our conversation, provide effective techniques, and talk about the situation. In complex cases, when this is not enough, we advise applying for an in-person consultation. So, it can be a long-term process,” says Alina.
The hotline is available at number 0 800 331 916 every day – from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on weekends.
Rokada Charitable Foundation is a local partner of UNHCR and works in eleven regions of Ukraine.
Given the scale of forced displacement and ongoing conflict in Ukraine, UNHCR, through 11 local partners, including Rokada has established protection desks and deployed mobile teams of social workers, social assistants and psychologists to provide protection counselling and referrals, psychosocial support, legal aid and social accompaniment across Ukraine. This support is provided both outside and within reception and collective centres, as well as in multi-purpose cash enrolment centres. Psychosocial support is provided based on needs observed and in response to the difficult psychological impact the ongoing war has on people, some of whom are displaced for the second time.
UNHCR is grateful for the steadfast support of its donors, such as France, enabling UNHCR to support displaced and war-affected people across Ukraine with psychosocial support, helping them cope with the shock of the war and the impact it has had on their protection and mental health. In 2022, UNHCR supported 114,393 people with psychosocial services, and 70,115 people so far in 2023.
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