Interventions after a Catastrophic Event
Merimna - Our Work
Merimna implements psychosocial interventions aimed at supporting students, teachers and parents after a traumatic event, crisis or major disaster (such as a pandemic) that affects an entire community.
Merimna is actively supporting children and their families
during the difficult period of the pandemic.
In the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic, Merimna’s professionals continue to offer their services to children and adolescents who are experiencing the loss or serious illness of a loved one, or who themselves are suffering from a life-threatening illness.
More comprehensively, in the community, Merimna aims to support parents and children with factual articles published on our website and in the media. Our psychologists suggest ways for parents to manage the difficulties arising from the unprecedented conditions of home confinement due to the health crisis.
With a view to consider the safety of both the people who receive our services and the employees of Merimna, we have taken all the necessary measures, following the instructions of experts and making use of all of the possibilities offered by technology.
In this section we will regularly post all the scientific articles concerning the issues related to Covid-19.
Psychological Bereavement Support Line
The specialized psychologists of the two Childhood Bereavement Counseling Centers in Athens and Thessaloniki are available to answer your questions and provide support regarding serious illness or the loss of a loved one.
You can call us from Monday to Friday at the hours and phone lines listed below:
Bereavement Counseling Centre of Athens
Hours: 10.00 – 16.00
Tel: 210 6463 622
Bereavement Counseling Center of Thessaloniki
Hours: 10.00 – 16.00
Tel: 2310 510 010

Online meeting to inform and empower teachers
Merimna, while adapting to the new conditions, continues to provide services, and to disseminate information and offer training regarding issues related to its scientific field of expertise.
In the context of the particular conditions of the pandemic and with the aim of providing scientific and accurate information to teachers of all school units, public and private, of the Dept. of Secondary Education, Athens, Merimna responded to the invitation for cooperation with the Administration of the Dept. of Primary Education, Athens, to participate in the online meeting of connection and empowerment in the time of the pandemic, entitled:
“Approaching Life and Death: From Loss and Grief to Mental Resilience”.

Talk to and support your children
in the time of the pandemic
Merimna's suggestions to parents
In the face of life-changing events, strengthening children’s sense of security is the most important goal for their effective support.
To make them feel safe, it is necessary to discuss with them what happens during the pandemic period, to listen and respond to their needs as they go through unprecedented experiences in their lives.

Take care of yourself first
so that you can support your children
during the period of the covid transmission
Merimna's suggestions to parents
The transmission of covid, often described as an “uninvited visitor” or “invisible threat”, has the characteristics of a crisis situation. Every crisis in people’s lives awakens a multitude of emotions, such as increased anxiety, uncertainty, despair and a feeling of helplessness.
One of the biggest challenges for parents is to stand “with a sense of reason” in the crisis, and without panic to be able to set their priorities, make the necessary changes, inform and support their children and establish a new routine in family life.
To do this, they first need to recognize their personal needs and take care of themselves.
Pediatric Palliative Home Care Service
In this difficult time of covid, we continue to be close to the families we already support by adapting our services to safeguard the health of children and their families as well as our employees.

We stay safe at home and read a good book
Merimna's suggestions to parents
Encourage your children to read a good book that will keep them “company” during these days at home!
At Merimna you will find books for children who are facing loss or serious illness. See more details and place your order.
35 σχολεία στην Ηλεία, Εύβοια και Αττική μετά τις πυρκαγιές του 2021
49 σχολεία στην Ανατολική Αττική μετά την πυρκαγιά στο Μάτι το 2018
Disastrous fires occurred in Eastern Attica
Uploaded to Merimna’s Facebook page, the publication “After a Disastrous Fire; Helpful information for parents”. This post received more than 4,500 visits.
Mobilized the Merimna Crisis Management Committee and created an action plan for the months of August and September. The committee immediately communicated with the Ministry of Education regarding the availability of Merimna to provide support training to teachers, before the beginning of the school year.
Issued a press release regarding Merimna’s actions in response to the fires.
An interview was conducted on the “First Program” of ERT with Evi Bitsakou, a psychologist from Merimna’s Childhood Bereavement Counseling Center, regarding the impact and support of children who were affected by the fires.
An interview was conducted with Eleftheria Ralli, Head Psychologist of Merimna’s Childhood Bereavement Counseling Center, on the ERT 1 “Morning Update” and on the radio station “RED”
Publication of a two-page article by Danai Papadatou in the EFSYN.GR newspaper, entitled: “How do we support children after a disaster” http://www.efsyn.gr/arthro/pos-stirizoyme-ta-paidia-epeita-apo-mia-katastrofi
The following activities were funded by UNICEF:
1. Operation of the Bereavement Counseling Support Center for Families of the Victims
2. Operation of a Telephone Support Line for families with children who were affected
3. Writing and printing of the following two informative leaflets:
• “Supporting students after a disastrous event: Guidelines for teachers”
• “Supporting children after a disastrous event: Guidelines for parents”
A workshop was presented for 24 schools from the affected area and was attended by 177 pre-school and elementary school teachers and school counselors at the Nea Makri Cultural Center.
Counseling and advice on appropriate intervention was presented to educators at 2 schools in Attika that had experienced the loss of a student or teacher in the fires.
Merimna continues to provide free psychological support to families of children who have experienced the loss of a loved one or whose lives were directly threatened by the fires.
120 σχολεία στην Ηλεία μετά τις πυρκαγιές το 2007
Η Μέριμνα ανέλαβε την ψυχολογική αξιολόγηση και διαχείριση των ψυχολογικών επιπτώσεων που είχαν οι πυρκαγιές στους μαθητές και εκπαιδευτικούς 120 σχολείων του Πύργου και της Αμαλιάδας, Πελοποννήσου.
Στα πλαίσια της παρέμβασης υλοποιήθηκαν σεμινάρια και ημερίδες για εκπαιδευτικούς, διευθυντές σχολείων και επαγγελματίες ψυχικής υγείας της περιοχής. Επίσης τα στελέχη της Μέριμνας προσέφεραν ένα ετήσιο πρόγραμμα επιμόρφωσης στη «Διαχείριση κρίσεων στο σχολείο» προκειμένου οι διευθυντές και διαμεσολαβητές- εκπαιδευτικοί που συμμετείχαν να διαμορφώσουν ένα ολοκληρωμένο σχέδιο διαχείρισης κρίσεων το οποίο έβαλαν σε αφορμή στο σχολείο τους.
Τέλος, η Μέριμνα υλοποίησε ένα πρόγραμμα κοινωνικής δράσης για παιδιά και εφήβους αφιερωμένο στον Κύκλο της Ζωής: «Πράσινη κλωστή δεμένη σ’ένα δέντρο τυλιγμένη….». Μέσα από αυτή τη δράση, οι μαθητές που είχαν εκτεθεί στις πυρκαγιές προσκλήθηκαν να γράψουν, να ζωγραφίσουν και να κατασκευάσουν δέντρα που αφηγούνται τις ιστορίες τους. Στη συνέχεια, μοιράστηκαν με μαθητές άλλων σχολείων της χώρας τις τα έργα τους. Η υλοποίηση βασίστηκε σε υλικό και οδηγίες που σχεδιάστηκαν και χορηγήθηκαν από τη Μέριμνα.

9 σχολεία στην Φαρκαδόνα Τρικάλων μετά το δυστύχημα στο πέταλο του Μαλιακού το 2004
Στα πλαίσια της παρέμβασης που ανέλαβε η Μέριμνα μετά το θάνατο 7 μαθητών, συνεργάστηκε με τα εννέα σχολεία της Φαρκαδόνας και υλοποιήθηκαν πολλές δράσεις με μαθητές, εκπαιδευτικούς, γονείς και εκπροσώπους του δήμου.
Η συνεργασία αυτή διευκόλυνε την επεξεργασία των τραυματικών εμπειριών που είχαν βιώσει και καταγράφηκε σε ένα ντοκυμαντέρ «Το χρονικό μιας Διαδρομής» το οποίο χρησιμοποιείται σήμερα για την επιμόρφωση εκπαιδευτικών και επαγγελματιών ψυχικής υγείας στην αναγνώριση και αποτελεσματική αντιμετώπιση τραυματικών εμπειριών.


19 σχολεία του Ιλίου μετά το σεισμό της Αττικής το 1999
Την παρέμβαση ανέλαβε η Μέριμνα σε συνεργασία με τους εκπαιδευτικούς και ψυχολόγους που παρακολουθούσαν ένα χρηματοδοτούμενο επιμορφωτικό πρόγραμμα (ΕΠΕΑΕΚ ΙΙ) με τίτλο: «Ευαισθητοποίηση και κατάρτιση επαγγελματιών παιδείας υγείας στην υποστήριξη παιδιών που αντιμετωπίζουν αρρώστια ή/και θάνατο στη ζωή τους».