The Psychosocial Support Office for pregnant women and new mothers at the Zhytomyr Regional Perinatal Center continues its operation. The office provides informational, consultation, and psychological services by a social work specialist and a psychologist. These consultations are part of the project “Minimum Package of Integrated Social Services for Families with Children,” supported by UNICEF.
“In our new project, we have resumed the operation of the Psychosocial Support Office for pregnant women and new mothers. We know that the services provided by this office are essential. Counseling women during pregnancy and after childbirth helps stabilize their psychological state, and support for families with children facing various vulnerabilities aids in overcoming life’s difficulties. This involves not only counseling at the perinatal center but also referring clients to their local communities where they can receive a comprehensive range of social services as needed,” says Margarita Siranchuk, Project and Program Manager at In Touch Ukraine Foundation.
Purpose of the Psychosocial Support Office
The purpose of the Psychosocial Support Office is to provide psychological and informational consultations, social services aimed at relieving psycho-emotional stress, improving quality of life, and social adaptation for the following categories:
- Pregnant women and their families
- Families/individuals of Ukrainian defenders
- Women considering relinquishing their newborn
- Women who have lost a child
- Women with premature births
- Underage pregnant women/new mothers
- Women affected by domestic violence
- Women prone to substance abuse
- Other vulnerable categories
Interdepartmental Cooperation
“This is a prime example of interdepartmental cooperation, where the joint efforts of medical staff, social workers, and psychologists clearly benefit each individual case. For instance, if a doctor notices a patient’s anxiety post-delivery, they inform the Psychosocial Support Office. Then, we – myself, the psychologist, and Juliana, the social worker – engage with the new mother. We analyze her situation, identifying various vulnerability factors such as family relations, past traumas, or the loss of a loved one, affecting the mother’s psychological and physiological state. This comprehensive approach allows the doctor to focus on the health of the mother and child without being distracted by psychosocial issues. The psychologist works on stabilizing the mother’s emotional state, while the social worker addresses social and domestic issues and ensures follow-up services in the community,” explains Lyudmila Mostova, psychologist at the Psychosocial Support Office.
Services Provided
Since March, the office has served 89 women, encompassing 84 children. They provided 242 informational and consultation services, including 121 psychological services, and made 11 referrals for 11 women (with 16 children) to their communities for comprehensive social services.
Office Availability
The Psychosocial Support Office operates three times a week according to a specific schedule at the Zhytomyr Regional Perinatal Center (2A Romana Shukhevych Street, Zhytomyr). Appointments can be made by calling: (096) 960 11 48, (067) 335 90 05.
Specialists provide services both at the Psychosocial Support Office and mobile consultations directly in the hospital wards.
Background
The NGO “In Touch Ukraine Foundation” is involved in implementing the project “Minimum Package of Integrated Social Services for Families with Children,” which focuses on developing social and medical services and enhancing interdepartmental cooperation to support families with children. This project is implemented by UNICEF with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the German Development Bank (KFW) and in partnership with the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine, Social Synergy NGO, and the Ukrainian Educational Platform.
