EU-certified psychological first aid training for Ukrainian specialists

The European Union Advisory Mission to Ukraine (EUAM) and European Gendarmerie Force (EUROGENDFOR) have concluded the EU-certified Training of Trainers (ToT) Courses on Psychological First Aid (PFA) for Ukrainian specialists.

The six-month capacity-building programme equipped 48 psychologists and academic staff from 12 higher educational institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) of Ukraine with the tools and credentials to train others, embedding mental health resilience within Ukraine’s civilian security system.

The courses were held in the spring of 2025 and were delivered by an EUAM Specialised Team from the Portuguese National Republican Guard under the flag EUROGENDFOR. 

Participants of the training received accreditation from the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA) under the EuroPsy framework – aligning Ukraine’s psychological education with European professional standards.

“From today onward, Psychological First Aid will be part of every cadet’s training and accessible to all citizens, empowering communities to respond with empathy and resilience in times of crisis,” said Jose Cardoso, Team Leader of the Portuguese Specialised Team, at the closing event, held on 21 October.

He added the training was enriched by an approach that went far beyond Psychological First Aid: “We introduced psychological interventions in the context of war – including stress management in hostile environments, crisis communication, and an overview of how psychological services are organised in Europe.”

The initiative’s impact now extends to civilian specialists. The National Psychological Association of Ukraine (NPA) has joined the effort, ensuring that Psychological First Aid training reaches a wider professional community.

“We have already launched a tender to organise training in four Ukrainian cities – Rivne, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia,” said Valeria Palii, Head of NPA. “Our eight trainers will be able to train up to 144 professionals, including school psychologists, social service workers, and humanitarian organisation staff.”

The European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) was established at the invitation of the Ukrainian authorities in 2014. Since then, EUAM Ukraine has worked closely with its Ukrainian counterparts to expedite sustainable reform of the civilian security sector, providing strategic advice and practical support for specific reform measures in accordance with EU standards and international principles of good governance and human rights.

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