THE SACP HELPS WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT IN THE CASE OF THE DECEASED 8-YEAR-OLD BOY

The State Agency for Child Protection expresses its condolences to the relatives of the deceased 8-year-old boy from the town of Mezdra and with concern for his friends and classmates, took action to coordinate and provide crisis intervention to ensure psychological help and support.

Crisis intervention is the implementation of a complex and multi-component program for emergency psychological assistance in critical/stressful events. It combines appropriate guidance, skillful listening, empathy, reassurance and inspiring confidence, as well as giving appropriate practical advice. Crisis intervention is applied in cases of traumatic events, such as - natural disasters, accidents, death of a loved one and others. Subjects of the crisis intervention may be injured children and their relatives, eyewitnesses, personnel involved in rescue operations, colleagues and others. The State Agency for Child Protection has formed a team of trained external specialists - expert psychologists who provide crisis support.

Already in the first days of 2021 regarding the exercise of the powers of the Chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection to organize a crisis intervention, two teams have been formed to work as specialists in crisis intervention, one of which provided assistance to students from 10th grade and staff members at a school in the town of Panagyurishte, who lost a classmate; and the second - to the child from the town of Mezdra, participant in the tragic incident with an 8-year-old boy, as well as to others in need at the location.

In the period 2010-2020, 29 crisis interventions were organized by the SACP. They were carried out in cases of deaths of children in educational institutions, in the cases of disasters in the villages of Hitrino and in the village of Gorni Lom, in cases of incidents with drowning of children, in case of dead parents with children witnesses and others.

The State Agency for Child Protection continues to monitor the rights and interests of all children in the Republic of Bulgaria and is ready to provide immediate assistance and support to children in need and their families, relatives and professionals working with children.