In the city of Dnipro started operation of a modern mental health center for military personnel, veterans and their family members. This is the first facility within the all-Ukrainian network of RETURN, initiated to support the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine. It is expected that more than 4,000 Ukrainian defenders and their families will be able to receive comprehensive psychological help at the center every year.
In the first phase, it is planned to create at least 25 RETURN centers across the country. They will work on the basis of state and communal medical institutions and will provide free, professional assistance to more than 105 thousand people annually.
The new center in Dnipro is located in the premises of one of the city’s leading medical institutions, which has become a key hub for assistance to both the military and the civilian population since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. As part of the project, the first floor of the hospital’s main building was overhauled with funds from benefactors, and a completely renovated space for psychological rehabilitation was created, which meets international standards of inclusiveness.
The center is built with barrier-free principles in mind: wide doors are installed, there are no thresholds, the floor has an anti-slip coating, sanitary rooms are adapted for people in wheelchairs, showers are equipped with seats and handrails. The space includes a reception area, individual and family therapy rooms, a group exercise room, a manipulation room, staff spaces and a day hospital ward.
The Dnipro RETURN center will provide assistance using methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy, trauma-oriented approach, Gestalt therapy, crisis counseling, narrative psychotherapy and family support. In addition, clients will be able to receive psychiatric care according to modern clinical protocols.
Specialists of the center work with manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depressive states, adaptation problems and other consequences of psychological trauma. To provide comprehensive care, a multidisciplinary team will function in each center, which will include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, case managers, nurses and social workers.
Photo: pinchukfund.org
