Washington, D.C., July 27, 2022 – The American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) recently awarded Languages of Care a $20,000 multi-year grant from its Ukraine Disaster Relief Fund. This grant will specifically support Languages of Care’s work to translate and provide mental-health-related resources and supports in Ukraine.

The Ukraine Disaster Relief Fund is designed to support human services organizations that are addressing the mental health and well-being of Ukrainian refugees, as well as those who are still in harm’s way inside the country. Languages of Care supports crisis survivors, relief workers, and mental health practitioners by translating high-quality, clinically reviewed, culturally sensitive resources into the languages most suitable for the community in need.

“One of the critical issues in providing effective help to crisis survivors and their caregivers is the need to offer language-specific materials containing specialized knowledge in disaster psychiatry best practices and trauma-informed care,” said Sander Koyfman, M.D., M.B.A, CEO and chief medical officer for Languages of Care. “We believe that offering such language service can help instill hope, free up resources, and improve access to care during disasters.”

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Languages of Care has been providing translated resources to refugees on the ground through evacuee transports and local organizations, and to mental health providers in many countries accepting refugees. With this grant, Languages of Care plans to support projects translating disaster mental health trainings and trauma-informed teacher and school psychologist trainings into Ukrainian, Polish, and Romanian.

“We are honored to support Languages of Care through our Ukraine Disaster Relief Fund,” said APAF Executive Director Rawle Andrews, Jr., Esq. “This conflict will have adverse mental health effects on individuals and communities around the world for years to come. It is crucial that we provide valuable, accessible mental health resources to those who need them most in times of conflict and crisis. With Languages of Care, we hope to support that ongoing mission in Ukraine and beyond.”

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses. APA's vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information please visit www.psychiatry.org.

American Psychiatric Association Foundation

The American Psychiatric Association Foundation is the philanthropic and educational arm of APA. The APA Foundation promotes awareness of mental illnesses and the effectiveness of treatment, the importance of early intervention, access to care, and the need for high-quality services and treatment through a combination of public and professional education, research, research training, grants, and awards. For more information visit www.apafdn.org.