Themes by tag: psychological support

“Recover together. Psychological issue of military rehabilitation” information seminar aims to bring together key participants in the rehabilitation process for a professional discussion on the psychological aspects of multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams and their interaction with patients in the military.

Event participants:

• Viktor Liashko, Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine,
• Vasyl Strilka, Director General of the Directorate of High-Tech Medical Care and Innovation of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine,
• Masi Nayyem, Co-Founder of Human Rights Center for Military Personnel “Principle”,
• Yulia (Taira) Paievska, paramedic, volunteer,
• Kseniia Voznitsyna, Chief Doctor of Lisova Poliana Veterans Mental Health and Rehabilitation Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine,
• Hlib Stryzhko, marine, veteran, head of the Veteran Hub in Kyiv.

Prior accreditation is required to attend the event. 

• psychological support
• Kyiv

On October 27, the final event to mark the completion of the SportAmbassadors project will take place in Kyiv. Journalists are invited to join the event and meet the sports ambassadors, learn firsthand about the motivation of the participants and the results achieved during the project.

In addition, the event will feature a demonstration of adaptive training equipment, including wheelchairs for basketball and concepts for rowing that will be used for training. The importance of adaptive sports and the involvement of veterans will be discussed as well. 

Press registration is required to attend the event.

SportsAmbassadors are veterans from different regions of Ukraine who underwent a personal recovery journey following an injury sustained on the front line. They are united by a common feature and mission—recovery through sports and motivation to share their experience with their brothers and sisters-in-arms, to engage them in adaptive sports, and to create such opportunities for other veterans in their local communities to go through this path.

For reference: The SportsAmbassadors project is implemented by the Come Back Alive Foundation supported by the US Embassy in Ukraine in partnership with the NGO “Invictus Games Ukraine”.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support

Kyiv-based rehabilitation center “Spirit” features a special “Spirit warrior” psycho-emotional recovery program for the military. Defenders are rehabilitated with the help of equine-assisted therapy. Psychologists of the center take part in the rehabilitation sessions. The techniques used during equine-assisted therapy for the military are aimed at teaching them to sense reality “here and now” and to be able to fully concentrate on the process. This therapy helps to relieve stress, improve sleep and get rid of obsessive thoughts. More than 600 defenders have already undergone this rehabilitation program.

For reference: rehabilitation center “Spirit” specializes in working with children with disabilities. And since the beginning of the full-scale war, it has been helping internally displaced persons to recover.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Serhii Titarenko is a former military pilot, a combatant and a retired Major of the Armed Forces. He runs “Joint Mission” NGOs and works as a psychologist at a rehabilitation center in Lviv region.

In 2012, the man took part in a peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and two years later, due to russian aggression, he joined the defense forces of Ukraine. In June 2014, during a combat mission near Slovyansk in Donetsk region, the occupiers fired at a helicopter with Serhii (navigator) and other crew members on board. The helicopter caught fire and fell from one hundred meters. Serhii had to be pulled out, his spine was broken. Then there was a long rehabilitation process. The man ended up in a wheelchair. However, this did not prevent him from mastering the profession of a psychologist. Currently, he works with wounded soldiers who have acquired disabilities as a result of their injuries. He helps them socialize and process traumatic experiences. He also provides aid to civilians who have suffered as a result of the war.

For reference: Serhii’s story will also be included in the book “History is not without us: the formation of the movement for the rights of people with disabilities in Ukraine.” The book is being produced by Fight For Right NGO for people with disabilities. It will be presented at the end of October.

• casualties
• military
• psychological support

Yevheniia Molchanova and her husband founded the family farm “Green Grove” in Dnipropetrovsk region. With the beginning of the big war, Yevheniia opened their farm for those fleeing from shelling: she took in displaced people and animals rescued from hot spots. “Green Grove” became a shelter for a total of 311 people fleeing from the war with their pets. More than 1,500 animals in need of evacuation, treatment and rehabilitation also received help at the farm. Some of them include: donkeys, horses, pigs and sheep. Animals were brought from the hottest spots, in particular, Mariupol and Bakhmut.

Over time, the farm was reformatted into a rehabilitation center. Nowadays, families of fallen servicemen and children with disabilities come here. Psychologists work on the territory, and people can undergo treatment via equine- and dog- assisted therapy programs.

• animals
• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• women
• Dnipro

Psychologists from the Voices of Children Foundation will visit the de-occupied Katiuzhanka in Kyiv Oblast on World Mental Health Day observed on October 10. The specialists will conduct group psychosocial sessions with children and their parents.

The foundation’s Kyiv office will also hold psychological sessions for families with children affected by the war.

For reference: The Children’s Voices Charitable Foundation provides psychological and psychosocial assistance to war-torn children.

• children
• psychological support
• Kyiv

Olha Pavlik does teaching, she spent more than 25 years in Zaporizhia working in this profession. Later, Olha started working for an NGO in green tourism. Eventually, together with her husband, she started her own project, The Potter’s House. Her husband was a potter, and Olha together with her daughter manufactured handmade souvenirs and ceramic jewelry pieces. At the outbreak of the all-out invasion, Olha’s husband enlisted in the army and went to Eastern Ukraine, while she stayed in the village, which became a frontline village. Those fleeing the Russian occupation could stay in a shelter on the territory of the Potter’s House. Later, Olha’s husband returned from the front line with an injury and several contusions. To fill the gaps in specialized education to provide rehabilitation for her husband Olha is getting a medical degree so that in the future she can invite her husband’s comrades-in-arms and other soldiers to the eco-homestead for rehabilitation. She is currently working on creating a rehabilitation project for the military. In addition, the Potter’s House already has an inclusive space for people with disabilities.

• psychological support
• volunteers
• women

On October 1, the “Buhurt Sich” rehabilitation project for military and veterans will launch in Ukraine. Psychological recovery will be provided via buhurt sports. The military will be able to practice in team jousting in full armor, as well as try out costume reconstruction, pottery, archery and crossbow shooting. It is also an opportunity to spend time in a friendly community.

The project is to be integrated into the activities of the rehabilitation center, where psychologists and rehabilitation doctors will offer buhurt sports as one of the activities. There are also plans to organize additional “Buhurt Sich” sites in different cities of the country, they should become places where a veteran can come with their problems and find support.

For reference: the “Buhurt Sich” project was initiated by the NGO “Buhurt Association in Ukraine.” The founders of the initiative are Ihor Parfentiev, world champion in buhurt, coach, veteran, and Olena Noinets, an activist, public figure, and a volunteer for the military. The NGO has a large team, most of which are currently fighting at the front. 

• military
• psychological support

On August 17, another rotation will start at the camp supporting the psychological and emotional state of teenagers from Kherson region, who suffered as a result of hostilities and by the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP caused by the occupiers. The camp is located in Truskavka, Lviv region. For 14 days, the visitors will focus on restoring their psycho-emotional state with the help of professional trainers and psychologists. Every day, teenagers will play outdoor games, engage in physical activity, attend trainings and master classes.

For reference: Leisure for teenagers from Kherson region is organized by the Coordination Center “Power of Youth” of the Ukrainian Leadership Academy together with the “JuniorS” NGO.

• casualties
• children
• psychological support
• Lviv

In Kyiv, animal-assisted therapy classes are held for defenders undergoing treatment. A pilot rehabilitation project therapy sessions with animals for the military take place in one of the capital’s medical institutions. The Kyiv Zoo joined the project. (All animals are closely monitored by veterinarians and have the necessary vaccinations.)

For reference: Animal-assisted therapy is a type of therapy that incorporates interaction with animals. The therapeutic intervention aims to improve the patient’s social, emotional, or cognitive functions.

• animals
• doctors
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv