Head of the department of social and humanitarian disciplines of the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, Anzhela Helbak, took part in a prestigious international training “Teaching Suicidology and Suicide Prevention in Higher Education Institutions.”
The event was held in the institutional cooperation in the field of health care with Ukraine UKR24/0022 Institutional Health Collaboration Project with Ukraine within the framework of a joint project of Akershus University Clinic (Norway) and the National University “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” (Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychology and Pedagogy) with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway/NORAD.
The aim of the training is to increase professional readiness of specialists to work with crisis situations and develop effective approaches to preventing suicidal behavior among different categories of population: in particular, youth, veterans, internally displaced persons, as well as people in difficult life circumstances.
The training participants worked on: modern approaches to identifying signs of risk of suicidal behavior; algorithms for responding to crisis signals; practical communication skills in conditions of emotional instability; methods of interactive work through role-playing games, cases, and discussions.
An important component of the program was forming the culture of early emotional crisis detection. Preventive mechanisms that could be integrated into educational, medical and social programs to support mental health at the local level were considered.
Aspects of interagency cooperation in the field of crisis response were also discussed, in particular the need for a people-centered approach to building an assistance system focused on the individual needs of a person.
Following the training, Anzhela Helbak received a certificate that entitles her to teach the academic course “Suicidology and Suicide Prevention” in higher education institutions. This opens up new opportunities for the DonSUIA in training law enforcement officers who can effectively act in crisis situations and help save human life.
