“What we are doing is meaningful and necessary”: Dutch Experts Share Proven PTSD Strategies with Ukraine’s Police
March 24, 2025
Blue Haven for Ukraine, a Dutch-funded project that kicked off at the end of January, continues its successful implementation. The first series of Training of Trainers (ToT) was completed during February and March. Conducted in Lviv, the ToT sessions focused on Team Collegial Support (TCS), aiming to equip Ukrainian police officers with the skills necessary to provide peer support to fellow officers. Thereby it addressed widespread issues related to stress symptoms and PTSD among law enforcement agencies in Ukraine. The training covered key topics such as psychoeducation, principles and conditions of providing TCS, roles and responsibilities, workflow, and communication strategies within TCS.
Participants included representatives from the Social and Psychological Support Units of the Main Departments of the National Police of Ukraine (NPU) from various regions, including frontline and liberated areas such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson.
To discuss more about the Blue Haven initiative and its implementation in Ukraine, we spoke with trainers and project managers Desiree van Arkel and Elise Verkade, who also serve in the Blue Haven units of the Rotterdam Police and are sharing their valuable experience with their Ukrainian counterparts.
EUAM Ukraine: The “Blue Haven for Ukraine” project builds on the experience and best practices of the Dutch police units known as Blue Haven. Could you please explain what Blue Haven is, and what are its main principles and objectives?
Desiree: Blue Haven is a dedicated support system designed to enhance the well-being, health, and resilience of police officers and managers. It offers both preventive and curative support. The preventive aspect includes Team Collegial Support (TCS), which provides assistance to colleagues following a critical incident, as well as proactive strategies to mitigate mental health issues. On the curative side, we have Buddy Support, a method that helps officers during their recovery process by maintaining close contact and facilitating their rehabilitation.
EUAM Ukraine: The Netherlands has dedicated Blue Haven units within the police force. Could you describe their role and provide examples of how they support officers?
Elise: TCS provides collegial support to help officers process critical incidents encountered in the line of duty. When an officer experiences a potentially traumatic event, such as suicide, a TCS member proactively reaches out to assess their well-being. The TCS member offers emotional and social support, as well as recognition, while also providing information to help the officer process the event independently in the initial phase. In the period that follows, the TCS member continues to monitor the officer’s recovery. TCS members are trained to identify early symptoms of potential trauma-related complications and, if necessary, refer the officer for professional assistance.
Buddy Support provides structured collegial support to officers facing mental health challenges, such as PTSD. The officer is paired with a dedicated buddy who offers emotional support, accompanies them on walks, helps navigate daily challenges and assists with reintegration. This personalised approach ensures that officers receive continuous support throughout their recovery process.
EUAM Ukraine: When were these units established in the Netherlands?
Desiree: Team Collegial Support has been developed within the National Police for about 35 years now. Buddy Support has been in place since 2018. It was first developed as a pilot and is now implemented throughout the National Police.
EUAM Ukraine: Do you have any data on the effectiveness of these programmes?
Desiree: The Buddy Support pilots were investigated by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Natural Science Research (TNO). We implemented our organization of Buddy Support on the basis of their advice. We can confidently say that the pilots have proven their effectiveness. TCS already has a base of years and has also proven its effectiveness. Therefore, we would like to share our experience with our Ukrainian colleagues, who are under unprecedented pressure. We hope that our contribution will support their mental health and well-being and somehow help alleviate the immense burden they carry during this war.
EUAM Ukraine: How can Blue Haven for Ukraine benefit not just police officers but the wider community?
Elise: Blue Haven focuses on improving the mental well-being of police officers. When officers are in good mental health, they are better equipped to serve and protect their communities. Their ability to manage stress effectively translates into more balanced decision-making, improved interactions with the public, and a safer environment for everyone.
EUAM Ukraine: You have recently conducted the first training sessions as part of Blue Haven for Ukraine. What are your impressions? How did the participants respond, and were there any key takeaways from these sessions?
Elise: The response from the participants was incredibly warm and heartfelt. There were many emotional moments throughout the training — times of happiness, grief, sadness, anger, and frustration. But above all, there was a deep sense of understanding.
The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, which reassures us that what we are doing is meaningful and necessary. We sincerely hope that the skills and knowledge gained during these sessions will help Ukrainian police psychologists and social workers build resilience. In turn, this will make them even more effective and supportive, both for their colleagues and for the communities they serve. Seeing this level of engagement and appreciation, we are really looking forward to the next sessions.
