On September 24, 2024, the closing event of the Well U Project took place in Brussels, marking the final stage of this significant initiative funded by HaDEA and EU4Health. The project focused on building competence in evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions for the wellbeing of displaced individuals, with particular attention to vulnerable communities affected by conflict, including displaced children and caregivers from Ukraine.
During the event, speakers from various partner organizations presented key findings, outcomes, and challenges encountered throughout the project. Discussions focused on scaling up the impact of MHPSS interventions across Europe and lessons learned from implementing these initiatives in Italy, Greece, Hungary, and Romania. The Well U project empowered non-specialists to deliver MHPSS interventions, bridging the gap in mental health care services across these regions.
In addition to presentations, three policy notes were introduced, offering insights into future improvements and strategies for incorporating MHPSS in EU projects. These policy notes provide a framework for enhancing mental health interventions and ensuring their scalability across different countries and contexts. The Well U project will officially conclude at the end of October 2024 with the publication of additional policy notes, providing further guidance for evidence-based MHPSS interventions aimed at supporting displaced and vulnerable populations.
The project’s overarching goal was to support key stakeholders working with refugee children and caregivers, particularly those displaced by the conflict in Ukraine. It aimed to address the mental health needs of these groups by promoting evidence-based MHPSS methodologies through training and the application of four community-based methodologies: ReachNow, Team Up, Movement, Games, Sports, and Creativity (MGSC), and Problem Management Plus (PM+).
Well U Project Impact in Greece
In Greece, the Well U project successfully trained 48 professionals and community members through four separate trainings focused on three methodologies: Problem Management Plus (PM+), Movement, Games, Sports, and Creativity (MGSC), and ReachNow. Two focus group discussions and one roundtable discussion were also organized, centered on the implementation of the PM+ methodology.
Additionally, 50 professionals and community members were trained by Terre des hommes Hellas staff across Romania, Hungary, and Lithuania, specifically on PM+ methodology, during three international trainings held as part of the Well U project.
Partners and Collaboration
The Well U project was coordinated by SOS Children’s Villages Italy, in collaboration with SOS Children’s Villages International, Terre des hommes Hellas, Tdh Romania, Tdh Hungary, War Child Holland, and was co-funded by the European Commission through the Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA).
This final event highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing the critical mental health needs of displaced populations, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of MHPSS support across Europe.
