Odesa: Strengthening Psychological Support for Rescuers

The Brave Minds team with representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) in Odesa Region.

On September 3rd, the Brave Minds team visited Odesa to meet with representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) in Odesa Region.

The visit brought together Viktoriia Kryvolapchuk, Lead Psychologist at Brave Minds, Edward Matthews, Project Manager and Tania Mashchenko, Social Media Manager. The team met with Denys Platonov, Head of the SES in Odesa Region, to discuss the current results of our work, the challenges facing rescuers, and plans for further cooperation.

Edward Matthews, Project Manager at Brave Minds, with Denys Platonov, Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Odesa Region.

A key focus of the meeting was the mental health and psychological wellbeing of rescuers. Every day, SES teams respond to emergencies, work at the sites of attacks and disasters, and operate in conditions of constant pressure and uncertainty. Strengthening psychological support is therefore an essential part of supporting their ability to continue this work.

But the reality of a rescuer’s work was brought into sharp focus during our visit.

While our team was in Odesa, the city came under another Russian attack. Together with SES personnel, we quickly arrived at the impact site and saw first-hand the conditions in which rescuers carry out their work, responding immediately, working under pressure and helping people affected by the attack.

“Being at the site of the attacks give a real perspective on what rescuers face every day. You can read the reports and see the numbers, but being there makes the reality impossible to ignore.”

— Edward Matthews, Project Manager

For us, visits like this are an important part of understanding what rescuers face beyond the statistics and reports. They also reinforce why Brave Minds continues to focus on strengthening psychological support for Ukrainian rescuers, making professional, confidential and free psychological help accessible to those who spend their days supporting and protecting others.

We are grateful to the Odesa SES team for their time, openness and continued cooperation and we look forward to continuing this work together.