Psykiatrifonden’s helpline now offers calls in English
Psykiatrifonden’s helpline offers free and confidential advice on all mental health concerns and will from this week extend this service to English speakers.
Right now, this could specifically help anyone whose mental health has been impacted by the war in Ukraine. This may be relevant for residential Ukrainians and Russians or for people fleeing the war, but it is an offer to anyone who prefers to talk to an adviser in English. We are also looking for Ukrainian-speaking volunteers with a social or health care background for the helpline.
Bente R. is one of the almost 10 advisors who will have the conversation in English when you call the helpline. She is a retired teacher with years of experience in support and rehabilitation of people suffering from anxiety disorder, depression, and OCD, and she has had therapeutic training. She expects to be talking to newly arrived Ukrainians fleeing the war and residential Ukrainians, who are going through a difficult time.
“They will be stressed, upset, and traumatized. Many of them won’t know where to turn in this emotional turmoil; hopefully we can help them take the next step. We might also experience mothers who have fled here with their children, leaving behind their husbands to an unknown future”, she says.
Reach us at +45 39 25 25 25
If you want to speak to an adviser in English, you can call Psykiatrifonden’s helpline on the usual telephone number: +45 39 25 25 25. If we are not able to put you through to an English-speaking adviser immediately, the adviser will refer you to a colleague, who will call you back within 48 hours.
Anyone wanting to use the service in English will have to give their name and number. It does mean that the usual anonymity will not apply, but the conversation will still be confidential and as always free of charge for the caller.
Every 8. call is about the war
2. March Psykiatrifonden started monitoring how many calls to the helpline were related to the war and it is around 12%. With Ukrainian refugees now arriving in larger number in Denmark, Psykiatrifonden believes that it is the right time to offer English language advice and help.
“We do already have conversations in English where needed, for instance when foreign students studying here call us, but due to the situation in Ukraine we now want to have a more systematic approach and offer”, says general manager of the helpline Liza Johnson.
We are recruiting Ukrainian speaking volunteers
Psykiatrifonden would also like to offer calls in Ukrainian. Therefore Liza Johnson is actively looking for Ukrainian speaking individuals with a background in social or health care e.g. nursing or psychology, who after in-house training can join the team of volunteer advisers. If interested, you can contact Liza Johnson at lj@psykiatrifonden.dk
Other ways to find or provide support
In addition to Psykiatrifonden’s helpline, all Danish regions offer help and advice as a part of their psychosocial emergency response plans that are activated in times of crisis:
Region Nordjylland: Psykiatrisk Skadestue,
+45 97 64 37 00
Region Midtjylland: Psykiatrisk Rådgivningstelefon,
+45 78 47 04 70
Region Syddanmark: Krise-hotline,
+45 99 44 50 60
Region Sjælland: Hotline,
+45 93 56 76 91
Region Hovedstaden: Referrals will happen through the accident and emergency services (either at hospital og by calling 18 13)
You can also find support and useful information by contacting the Danish Refugee Council
And if you have the time and capacity to volunteer your help, you can find volunteering opportunities at Danish Red Cross
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