Supporting resilience through play and movement – TeamUp in Poland
An evidence-based psychosocial support methodology for children affected by conflict and displacement
TeamUp is a movement-based psychosocial support intervention developed by War Child, Save the Children and UNICEF Netherlands. TeamUp supports children aged 6 to 17 to cope with stress, heal from trauma, and reconnect with their childhood. Its theoretical foundations draw on guidelines for mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings, trauma-informed care principles, and the value of movement and play to support socialisation and self-regulation. TeamUp has reached children affected by war in more than 25 countries and has been formally recognised as meeting global standards for evidence-based mental health and psychosocial support.
Structured group sessions delivered by trained facilitators
During weekly TeamUp sessions, children take part in structured play and movement-based activities led by trained facilitators. Each activity has a specific goal related to a theme such as dealing with anger or stress and interacting with peers. The methodology communicates through play and movement rather than verbal cues, so that all children can participate even if they do not share a common language.
TeamUp in Poland: responding to the psychosocial needs of children displaced by war in Ukraine
The TeamUp method was introduced in Poland through the efforts of Save the Children, which implemented it in various settings such as libraries and schools, while at the same time SOS Children’s Villages Poland applied it within their SOS Programmes, both organisations implementing emergency response in support of refugee children.
The SOS Children’s Villages staff were trained by War Child and SOS Children’s Villages Italy, ensuring high-quality implementation of the approach. In Poland, SOS Children’s Villages delivered TeamUp in cities including Warsaw, Lublin, Kraków, and Kraśnik, as well as during camps organized in cooperation with the Flokowisko Foundation. Save the Children Poland staff was trained by War Child and Save the Children Netherlands and has implemented in over 80 locations across Poland with support of various partner organisations.
These parallel implementations helped expand the reach and impact of the approach across different contexts. Following the withdrawal of Save the Children from Poland, the license for the TeamUp method has been transferred to the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI), which now continues to support its further development and dissemination.
A scalable model built for local capacity
TeamUp is designed for scaling through a network of partner organisations. In Poland, War Child master trainers have been training professionals from local organisations to become TeamUp facilitators, with the aim of rolling out the method in schools and safe spaces across the country. This local capacity-building model reduces dependence on international expertise over time and makes TeamUp well suited for integration into existing child protection and psychosocial support systems.