The Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine has identified as priority tasks the support of military personnel during their service, assistance in adapting to civilian life after service, and providing help to their families. Additionally, special attention is given to assisting former prisoners of war and their families. Given the challenges posed by the full-scale invasion and the growing number of military personnel and their families, the Ministry is focusing on the development of social services and programs for these categories of Ukrainians.
Experimental social support project for military personnel
One of the key initiatives to support defenders is the launch of an experimental project providing social support services to military personnel and their families in military units. This project, implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, aims to help military personnel adapt to military service conditions and assist their families in adjusting to new living conditions.
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The social service includes the following components:
- Informing military personnel and their families about social protection, healthcare, education, free legal assistance through legal aid centers, and more.
- Psychosocial support.
- Strengthening military families, improving relationship resilience, and supporting interaction during military service and after mobilization.
- Restoring lost contact with military personnel.
- Assistance with the completion of necessary documents.
- Prevention of gambling addiction, substance abuse, socially dangerous diseases, unlawful behavior, and other forms of addiction and deviant behavior.
- Representation of military personnel and their families’ interests in government agencies.
- Prevention and response to domestic violence in military families, preventing child abuse, and addressing such cases.
Currently, 35 military units are participating in this project.
Social adaptation of veterans and their families
To assist war veterans in transitioning to civilian life after demobilization, the Ministry of Social Policy has introduced a social service for the social adaptation of veterans and their families. This service includes two stages:
- One-week social recovery program – focused on maintaining and restoring social connections, stabilizing emotional well-being, increasing resilience to combat psychological trauma, and facilitating adaptation during recovery. The program is conducted with psychologists, social workers, and social educators at recreational institutions.
- Service in the community – this includes a series of activities aimed at helping veterans analyze their life situation, identify needs, and develop a plan for future development across all areas of life. It also supports the development of social skills, social competence, and family and community connections, as well as aiding in physical recovery.
The service is currently available in five regions: Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, and Chernivtsi. With funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, it is expected to be expanded to six more regions.
Services for military personnel released from captivity and their families
The social protection system also provides specialized services for military personnel released from captivity and their families. These include:
- 12 social services for urgent assistance.
- Rehabilitation.
- Prosthetics and provision of rehabilitation aids.
- Pension support and social scholarships.
A social specialist or case manager is assigned to each released person and their family to help organize necessary social services.
How to access social services?
Military personnel and their families can access social services through the following methods:
- Independently:
- Contacting the social protection department in their region, with contact details available on the local government website.
- Reaching out to organizations or institutions providing social services in their area of residence.
- Visiting centers for administrative services in their area of residence.
- Through notification by authorized persons:
- The Coordinating Staff for Prisoners of War informs the social protection department within three days of a person’s release to arrange social services.
- The head of a reintegration center or healthcare facility also notifies social service providers and, with the individual’s consent, facilitates a meeting between the released person and a social worker to provide social support.
Resilience centers also provide assistance to all of the aforementioned groups.
The Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine urges communities to participate in providing the “Social Adaptation of Veterans and Their Families” service and to collaborate actively to expand access to these services.
