Mental health support: Austria to strengthen EU Advisory Mission ‘Blue Haven for Ukraine’ project

Austria will strengthen the second phase of the ‘Blue Haven for Ukraine’ project (Blue Haven II), an initiative run by the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine that reinforces mental health support for Ukraine’s law enforcement community through a peer-to-peer approach.

The agreement was signed on 12 December between the Austrian government, represented by Ambassador to Ukraine Robert Müller, and by Head of Mission Rolf Holmboe, representing EUAM Ukraine.

Police officers, border guardsmen, national guardsmen, and emergency responders work daily in conditions of constant danger either at the front or in war-affected areas, exposed to high levels of psychological strain.

EUAM Head Rolf Holmboe said the support from Austria would help the Mission to reach not only law enforcement officers and emergency responders, but also veterans, their families and the families of fallen heroes: “They all carry a heavy burden, and they all deserve timely access to professional psychological support.”

Under the first phase of the Blue Haven for Ukraine project, three Blue Haven centres in Lviv, Rivne and Vinnytsia for the National Police were established, with four more on the way, alongside the delivery of 13 mobile Psychosocial Support Stations (PSS). A total of 177 NPU psychologists and social workers have so far been trained in key mental health peer-to-peer methodologies.

However, other key agencies – the National Guard, the State Emergency Service, and the State Border Guard Service – also require such support, EUAM said in a press release. Austria’s support will allow the Mission to provide additional mobile PSS that can operate in high-risk areas where fixed facilities cannot function safely.

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Press release