Support Community Mental Health

Our community-based mental health programs promote the well-being of refugees affected by crisis and conflict so they can heal and rebuild their lives.

Learn how HIAS provides displaced people with community-based mental health care. (SideXSide Studios for HIAS)

Overview

The HIAS Foundation supports HIAS’ work in community-based mental health programs and psychosocial services to promote the well-being of individuals, families, and communities affected by crisis and conflict so they can heal and rebuild their lives.

A supportive environment is essential to healing and recovery. Our programs strengthen existing relationships, networks, and practices that communities use to cope and heal. We train key community members to recognize emotional distress as a result of crisis or emergency, and how to respond with empathy and respect. By developing community support and peer groups, facilitating opportunities for connection in a safe environment, and linking people with necessary services, HIAS promotes a culturally sensitive approach to help people cope with adversity.

290,000+

people received our mental health support in 2024

Strategies

As the scale of humanitarian crises reaches historic proportions, an unprecedented number of individuals are experiencing the emotional and psychological impacts of forced displacement. HIAS is investing in supporting mental health, which can in turn enable social and economic development.

We support community mental health by:

  • Strengthening community-based care for individuals, families, and communities impacted by crisis and conflict.

  • Building skills and competencies of key stakeholders to promote mental health and well-being.

  • Contributing to research and learning about mental health in humanitarian settings.

Impact

A leader from a local humanitarian organization in Odesa listens to information on MHPSS and burnout prevention for humanitarian workers at a HIAS-led session. (Pavlo Oliynyk for HIAS Ukraine)

Women Humanitarians in Ukraine Need Mental Health Aid

Three years after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, HIAS is helping women in the humanitarian sector improve their mental health. “It’s essential to be in a good state yourself to take care of others.” -Iraida Gerashchenko, a humanitarian worker for a local NGO in Kherson.

Learn more