Project “Exchange best practices and experiences working with refugees in the Baltics”

On 20-21 May, EHPV conducted the first study visit to Tallinn within the project “Exchange best practices and experiences working with refugees in the Baltics,” supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers´ Office in Estonia.

The project’s goal is to increase the ability to answer the needs of refugees affected by socially valuable diseases and build organizations’ advocacy capacity through study visits in Estonia, Latvia, and Finland.

8 representatives of Latvia and Finland NGOs – AGIHAS (Riga, Latvia) and Positiiviset ry (Helsinki, Finland) visited our office in Tallinn.
On the first study visit day, we presented EHPV activities. Special attention we paid to the branch of work with refugees. The psychologist from our office in Narva and peer consultant from our office in Johvi shared their experience working with refugees online.

The next day we visited Tallinn Social Welfare and Health Care. The Tallinn Social Welfare and Health Care representative, Mihhail Jakovlev, talked about the peculiarities of the departments work with refugees in Tallinn.

 

Then, Ekaterina Smirnova, the coordinator of EHPV psychosocial projects, organized a workshop working with refugees affected by socially valuable diseases. As a result, the participants discussed the peculiarities of the work of social workers, peer consultants, and support persons. Next, Ekaterina Smirnova gave a lecture about psychosocial work with trauma, and EHPV psychologist Ekaterina Maslennikova demonstrated the practice exercises working with trauma.

After the training, participants visited the Refugee reception center. Together with Mihhail Jakovlev, representative of the Tallinn Social Welfare and Health Care, we explored the center and learned about social services refugees can get in the center. Betina Beshkina, Deputy
Mayor of Tallinn, joined the meeting in the Refugee reception center. Betina shared her experience in creating and organizing the center and answered questions that interested the participants of the study visit.

Our partners from Latvia and Finland noted the high level of the study visit organization and the importance of acquired knowledge and experience for future work with refugees in their countries. The next study visit will conduct in AGIHAS (Riga, Latvia). During the second study visit, the participants will learn about AGIHAS activities and their experience working with refugees. Also, we will conduct a mini-conference working with refugees.