SAN FRANCISCO—A San Francisco-based company called JustAnswer National Mental Health Center plans on opening a center in Ukraine next week. The 5,000 square foot building will be located in Lviv which is the largest city in Western Ukraine.
JustAnswer is an online based network aimed at pairing people with mental health professionals. They employ about 300 workers in Ukraine and have been present in the country for over a decade. The center anticipates helping about 15,000 people this year and aims to reach 40,000 by next year. Twenty mental health professionals will be working at the center including psychiatrists and psychologists who will be performing their duties full time.
The center will be offering no cost care for those suffering from trauma and other mental health issues induced by the war. The country’s healthcare system has been overburdened since the COVID-19 pandemic and the commencement of the war making mental health accessibility troublesome. Experts state that remote services play a crucial role in crisis triage and alleviate the pressure on overburdened health systems in war conflicts.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, JustAnswer made efforts to provide aid and assistance to employees and refugees. Back in March, the company raised a total of $210,000 in donations for food and medical aid. It was reported in September that the company has amounted $600,000 to aid Ukraine.
The JustAnswer building took four months to be completed and will be operated by a local hospital and the city.
During the war, the Ukrainian people have suffered from exposure to abuse and violence and the loss of friends and family members resulting in severe amounts of psychological trauma. Several studies have shown an increased level of psychological problems, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), depression and anxiety disorders increased among the Ukrainian people since the war.
The CEO of JustAnswer, Andy Kurtzig, also plans on setting up a drone pilot school next. “The training is to help the civilians know where the Russians are, when they’re getting ready to attack so they can evacuate,” Kurtzig said. “Our goal is safety.” Over 5 million Ukrainians have fled their home country seeking safety in other countries. JustAnswer donated 11 sophisticated surveillance drones in honor of the tech company’s 11th year in Ukraine.
