Kick-Off: FRID – Facilitating Refugee Integration through Dedicated Mental Health Support

We’re excited to announce the launch of FRID, a collaboration aimed at addressing one of the most urgent and under-supported needs of Ukrainian refugees in Sweden.

This project is co-developed by Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG) (Sweden) in partnership with Reach for Change (Sweden) and MIELI Mental Health Finland (Finland), an NGO with over 120 years of experience in promoting mental well-being. The project is funded by the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation and is part of an initiative aimed to increase the integration and social inclusion of Ukrainian refugees in European host countries. 

Why is the FRID Project Important?

Many Ukrainian refugees across Europe, and particularly in Sweden, face ongoing psychological challenges. A recent survey conducted among Ukrainians in Gothenburg revealed that:

These findings underscore a need for accessible and culturally sensitive mental health support systems that can complement formal services and reach people where they are.

What does the FRID Project Aims to Accomplish?

The FRID project focuses on adapting and testing MIELI’s peer-led model and TOIVO, originally developed in Finland, to support the mental well-being of migrant communities. Through a process of knowledge exchange, local adaptation, and pilot implementation, we will:

• Learn from the TOIVO methodology through hands-on workshops and expert mentorship from MIELI
• Combine MIELI's tools with the practical experience of mental health professionals from HUG
• Co-design and launch a pilot program specifically tailored for Ukrainian refugees in Sweden

The pilot will emphasize:

• Peer support models
• Low-threshold access
• Community involvement and feedback loops (build-measure-learn)

Vision

The aim of the project is to scale and replicate the approach across Sweden, offering more Ukrainian refugees access to effective, inclusive mental health support. Additionally, we aim to empower other stakeholders to adopt grassroots-led social innovation in addressing complex social challenges.

Let’s work together to create a future where no refugee feels left behind in their healing journey!.

For more information, you are welcome to contact: 

Mariya Melnyk, Project Manager, Help Ukraine Gothenburg: mariya.melnyk@hug.ngo   

Yehor Suslenko, Communications Manager, Help Ukraine Gotheburg: yehor.suslenko@hug.ngo 

Jane-Ange Musekura, Project Manager, Reach for Change: jane-ange.musekura@reachforchange.org 

Melis Ari-Gurhanli, Project Manager, MIELI Mental Health Finland:  melis.ari@mieli.fi