The Ministry of Health has provided funds for direct crisis intervention, psychological counseling and individual therapy sessions for medical staff and medical students. The program also provides long-term education through the preparation of and access to teaching materials. To power the program it is necessary to register on the Platform available at https://psychologdlamedyka.pl/
The overarching goal of the program is to provide emergency, immediate assistance to medics in mental and emotional crisis caused by a sudden, difficult situation, resulting from prolonged stress or previous traumatic events, as well as the intensity of negative emotions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data collected by the Foundation You Can't See Past Me, more than 50% of medical professionals suffer from burnout syndrome. In some groups, many are thinking about changing professions. At the same time, medics reach out for professional help the least often and the latest.
As part of the initiative, medical staff and medical students can receive immediate assistance from psychologists, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists. Appointments will be made exclusively through an online platform, where a calendar with the availability of specialists will be posted. If a psychologist diagnoses the need for therapy during the first consultation meeting, a medical professional or student will be able to benefit from it under the program. Up to four free sessions of about 50 minutes each will be provided for each person, to be held at times convenient to the person in need. On-site consultations and therapy sessions will be conducted in all provincial cities.
Who can benefit from the program?
- doctors / physicians
- nurses / nurse practitioners
- midwives
- lifeguards and paramedics
- physiotherapists / physiotherapists
- laboratory diagnosticians
- pharmacists
- medical students who already face overload, stress, pressure and constant anxiety during their studies,
The program provides for the implementation of 15,000 direct crisis interventions.
In addition to rapid, direct psychological assistance, the funds will be used for long-term activities involving psychoeducation of medics and medical students on:
- mental health,
- emotional states related to the nature of their work,
- symptoms of the most common mental disorders,
- relaxation techniques.
The program will also produce:
- tutorials,
- webinars conducted by psychologists and clinical psychologists,
- teaching materials on relaxation techniques.
The educational materials available on the platform are in digital form and are tailored to be received also by people with visual and hearing limitations. The platform is also a place for exchanging experiences, views and problems of representatives of medical staff and students.
The main implementer of the program's tasks is Falck Medicine. It is the largest, leading private company in the provision of medical services, specializing in specialized medical transportation. Substantive and organizational support will be provided by the Nie Widać Po Mnie Foundation, whose mission focuses on the broad psycho-education of the public in the field of mental health.
The funds were granted by the Ministry of Health as part of the "Program of psychological support for medical staff," financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund under the Operational Program Knowledge Education Development, as part of Measure 7.1 of Priority Axis VII Support of REACT-EU for Health.
The program will last until November 30 this year, while access to educational materials will be provided to users of the platform until June 30, 2024.
