Calls for Proposals on Promoting Mental Health: Mental Health Support for Ukrainian Displaced People

Background and policy context

The Ukraine crisis has an unprecedented impact on the mental health of the displaced people in the EU coming from Ukraine. The conflict and experiences of people in war zones, and during the process of displacement, is having a negative impact on the mental health of that population, and in particular on the most vulnerable groups among them.

Ukrainian/Russian-speaking mental health professionals will play a key role to support mental health and wellbeing of displaced people arriving from Ukraine. It is therefore essential to build on, reinforce and empower this critical resource in the EU. It is also critical to provide ways to promote the networking of such health professionals, promoting their work with the national health systems and also non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to build capacity, and share experiences and best practices.

To address this situation, the Commission:

• has set up a virtual network on the EU Health Policy Platform for health professionals and NGOs working with refugees, as a clearinghouse of exchange of activities and to provide them with access to support materials, and connect and share best and promising practices. This can also help to speed up the recognition of professional qualifications of the persons on temporary protection, to offer the possibility of being trained and be included in the EU health systems, and to ensure practical implementation of actions on the ground.
• launches this call for proposals, to provide mental health support to displaced people because of the Ukraine conflict.

Objectives pursued

The main objective of this action is to increase awareness, knowledge generation, and sharing, and capacity building to improve mental health and psychological wellbeing in migrants and refugee populations, with a special focus on Ukraine’s displaced people, via the implementation of promising and best practices and guidance.

Description of the activities to be funded under this topic

The activities are about exchanging and implementing best practices that will increase awareness, knowledge sharing and support for health professionals and NGOs working with refugees.

Specifically, the actions will support interested stakeholder organisations, to discuss and exchange mental health practices and knowledge, to implement promising and best practices and evidence-based actions. The activities should focus on the needs of Ukraine’s displaced people who are mainly located in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries or in other EU member states and support for NGOs and health professionals speaking Ukrainian/Russian who work with Ukrainian displaced people. The actions will include work that builds on the already available training material of the Health Policy Platform/ECDC Virtual Academy of the mental health training for professionals dealing with refugees, including translations when needed.

Expected results and impact

This will be part of the EU assistance to Ukraine and to mitigate the negative mental health impact of the war for displaced persons, who are mainly located in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries. It may also provide support to other Union countries where the displaced people may find placement. The action is expected to contribute to the mitigation of major mental health and psychologically traumatic experiences of the displaced people as a consequence of the war in Ukraine.

Specific mandatory deliverables and/or milestones

Actions should take in consideration work carried out by other organisations working with Ukraine’s displaced people, (e.g. WHO, UNHCR, Red Cross, Caritas, etc.) and include interaction with them.

Practices should be implemented through on the ground activities and in consultation with representatives from the community or target group concerned (migrants, refugees, Ukrainian displaced people). Funded activities will also need to include a brief process evaluation of the implementation, as well as a plan for further roll-out of practice implementation in other EU countries where the displaced people may find placement.

Specific action-level indicators for reporting purposes

Applicants shall collect data on the following specific action-level indicators in their regular reporting activities in case of award:

• Number of training materials translated by number of languages.
• Number of health professionals and NGOs making use of the training material (using best practices, evidence-based practices, training material etc.) to provide mental health support.
• Number of Ukrainian displaced people benefiting from the action (by country).

The applicants are required to include in their proposals additional specific action-level indicators which will be agreed with the Commission during the grant agreement preparation.

The Commission may require the awardees to collect data for additional specific action-level indicators, where needed to complement the above indicators.

Available budget for this topic: EUR 2 000 000.

Proposals to be awarded under this topic: Up to three proposals.

Expected duration of project: Given the complexity of the activities to be funded under this topic, the recommended length of a project is 24 months.