The Council of Europe Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine” (hereinafter “the Project”) has successfully launched a training series dedicated to the Basics of Social and Psychological Support for Veterans and Their Families which is being conducted for the social workers of the territorial recruitment centres of Ukraine. The training series is being organised in close collaboration with some of the key Project’s partners, in particular the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. This series of training carries a particular importance in that it aims to improve the knowledge of the specialists of the territorial recruitment centres on the social support infrastructure and the basics of psychological help and self-help, as these specialists often become an entry point for veterans and their families to receive social support.
The first training took place on 14-15 October 2024 engaging more than 50 social support specialists of the territorial recruitment centres from Volyn, Rivne and Khmlenytskyi oblasts of Ukraine. Throughout October and November 2024, 8 more of such online training sessions will be conducted, with the closing session taking place on 5-6 December 2024. It is planned that the training series will contribute to educating around 500 specialists with each training covering about 50 participants from all regions of Ukraine.
In his opening remarks, Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, expressed his gratitude to all partners involved in this initiative and emphasised the importance of collaboration with institutions at both the national and local levels as the latter are on the forefront of the service delivery.
Anastasiia Saliuk, Head of Unit at the Council of Europe, stated that “By providing robust social services, especially for veterans and military personnel, Ukraine is not only meeting its national commitments but also fulfilling its role as a member of the European family that values human rights and dignity for all”.
The first day of the training focused on the fundamentals of social support for veterans and their families. A Council of Europe expert provided insights into state guarantees for social protection and highlighted key international documents that Ukraine pledged to adhere to in this area. Representatives from the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine presented an overview of the social infrastructure within the security and defense sectors, while officials from the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine discussed how assistance is organised for social support recipients, including state guarantees for prosthetics and rehabilitation aids.
The second day covered essential aspects of psychological assistance to veterans and their families targeting, such conditions as aggression, fear, anxiety, stupor. The session also covered self-help for the social workers working with difficult cases to prevent their burnout. A Council of Europe expert addressed trauma-sensitive communication, psychological first aid for non-professionals, referral systems, and effective communication with individuals who have experienced loss. She also emphasised the importance of self-care and self-regulation techniques.
The training was organised under the Council of Europe Project “Rights of Veterans and Personnel of Armed Forces in Ukraine,” a component of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery, Reconstruction” (2023-2026).
