Over three years into the war in Ukraine, with no end in site, the people in Ukraine are facing the acute impacts of prolonged conflict, with many families seeking refuge in Poland. As of February 2025, approximately 1.55 million Ukrainian nationals were residing in Poland. As the conflict protracts, emphasis has shifted away from immediate relief to fostering community resilience and long-term integration. In 2025, EPSCF made a three-year commitment to support expansion of mental health support and community resilience programming for refugees as well as enhance the capacity of education and community health professionals. Primary activities include:

1. Mobile Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Units

MHPSS Units provide essential services — including psychological support, case management, and social cohesion — across seven centers hosting Ukrainian refugees in the Małopolskie Voivodeship. These centers remain underserved, with many refugees experiencing isolation and limited access to essential psychological and social support. Need assessments performed at each center identified the most pressing needs, leading Project HOPE to expand its services to include medical document translation, language courses, and additional excursions to support integration. 

2. Nurse and School Professionals Training Program (Mind C.A.R.E.)

Mind C.A.R.E. (Communication, Acceptance, Relationships, and Empowerment) is Project HOPE’s flagship program in Poland. Mind C.A.R.E. is an innovative training program developed by teachers, educators, cultural assistants, nurses, and non-educational staff to enhance participants’ competencies in mental health assessment, psychological first aid, resilience-building, and self-care. Launched in 2024 with a total of 157 school and healthcare professionals from the Małopolskie, Lubelskie, Mazowieckie, Śląskie, and Podkarpackie Voivodeships completing the training.

3. Youth Peer to Peer (MIND C.A.R.E. Youth) 

In pilot phase. The initiative contains three modules aimed at mental health resiliency by increasing awareness and understanding of mental health issues and developing essential life skills. To date, three primary school classes participated in the program, and it was well-received. Next steps include training school staff to independently deliver the curriculum. First Mind C.A.R.E. Youth Academy for teachers is scheduled for July 2025.

From January to June 2025, a total of 812 individuals received direct support:

• 688 persons made 9,326 visits to Project HOPE’s MHPSS Mobile Units 

• 229 Ukrainian refugees received individual or/and group psychological support 

• 213 Ukrainians provided with individual social work sessions or/and group social cohesion sessions 

• 490 individuals participated in Polish and English language classes 

• Four individuals received documents translation service 

• 42 children participated in MIND C.A.R.E Youth Program

• 82 children participated in the World Refugee Day event