Mentoring as a way of assistance with social-emotional problems of internally displaced Ukrainian families

Abstract

The article examines foreign and domestic experience of using mentoring to help internally displaced families. Analysis of mentoring programs for refugees and migrants abroad showed the effectiveness, feasibility and low cost of such a tool. Unfortunately, domestic experience does not yet have such a wide spectrum of use of mentoring as abroad. Mentoring programs have a positive impact on common problems faced by displaced people: finding housing, employment, language barrier, intercultural understanding; as well as internal changes: a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, vitality and empowerment, etc. Their influence on the improvement of the psycho-emotional state of immigrants, the development of their emotional intelligence, the reduction of social isolation, and accordingly the reduction of depressive states, the improvement of social integration and adaptation is also important. Therefore, we proposed the development of the concept of conflict-sensitive emotional mentoring (CSEM) for external assistance to internally displaced families (IDFs) in Ukraine. But such development required, as a first step, an accurate analysis of the psycho-emotional state of such families and the challenges for mentors arising in connection with this. Therefore, the corresponding analysis was carried out using interview methods of Air Force families, as well as psychosocial assistants who were in direct contact with them and provided support in various areas of their lives. The results of the analysis of the socio-emotional problems of internally displaced families gave detailed descriptions of the psycho-emotional states of mothers, children and adolescents in four locations: in the «hot spot», during the escape from the «hot spot», upon arrival to a new location and six months later in a new area. All psycho-emotional states were divided into six groups according to the dominant emotion, which is basic: anxiety, anger, grief, disgust, joy and curiosity. So, for example, all reactions and emotional manifestations based on anxiety united the following emotions and reactions: fear, anxiety, panic, stupor, horror, despair, despair, helplessness and physical reactions (sobbing, crying, trembling, etc.). Family challenges faced by the entire family as a whole were also revealed: emotional ties between mother and child, conflicts, ambivalence and attitude towards friends, relatives, and others. In addition, the problems of the language barrier, the availability of places for socialization for children and the needs that inspired or caused positive reactions in mothers and children were identified. In this way, a full range of socio-emotional problems and needs of the Air Force was collected, which is an important basis for the implementation of conflict-sensitive mentoring by future mentors. In order to implement this type of mentoring, we suggested using the experience of the mentoring program for immigrants in Southern Spain, which involved the involvement of immigrants who have been living in this territory for a certain time as mentors for newly arrived immigrants. The positive experience of the implementation of such a program confirms the improvement of all areas of life of displaced persons, their socio-emotional state and the increase of sustainability and implementation in new conditions, which will allow us to talk about the effectiveness of social policy in relation to internally displaced persons.

Keywords

• public administration, social policy, mentor, mentoring, internally displaced families, socio-emotional problems, psycho-emotional state