Psychosocial support strengthened in Odesa

On 14 September 2026, the Psychosocial Support Centre of Odesa City Council was officially opened in Odesa. The Centre was established as part of the project “Comprehensive Support for Children, Families and Communities Affected by the War”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the SFPL under the PRO_MentalHealth Psychosocial Programme.

The Centre provides accessible and comprehensive psychosocial support to veterans, their families, military personnel, internally displaced people, people with disabilities and other community members affected by the war.

Services are provided by a multidisciplinary team of specialists and include psychological support, psychoeducation, career guidance and information services, psychiatric care, physical and sports rehabilitation, legal assistance and other forms of support.

Services are available both on an outpatient basis at the Centre and through mobile support provided by a dedicated outreach team.

The opening ceremony was attended by Artur Grossman, Development Cooperation Coordinator at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine; Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine; Paweł Kost, Head of the Solidarity Fund PL Representative Office in Ukraine; and representatives of local authorities.

Welcoming the Centre’s team on its opening, Artur Grossman, Development Cooperation Coordinator at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine, highlighted the importance of solidarity among EU countries:

The European Union is an organisation built on solidarity. Poland is proud that, together with other EU countries and their citizens, whose taxes contribute to our shared European resources, we can support such important initiatives. Thanks to the joint efforts of the European Union, Polish partners, the Ukrainian state and local authorities, we can establish and develop centres like this. I would like to express my respect to those defending Ukraine, to those providing psychosocial support, and to the people who have the courage to seek it. he said.

During the opening, guests learned more about the Centre’s work and the services already available to local residents. Particular attention was given to the photo exhibition “A Space of Safety: Bringing Back Childhood”, featuring stories of children and teenagers from families affected by the war who took part in retreat camps organised as part of the “Comprehensive Support for Children, Families and Communities Affected by the War” project.

The exhibition shows how a safe environment, professional support, open communication and the opportunity to spend time with peers can help children recover from traumatic experiences.

Today, our main battle is for people. If we want to build a strong state, we need strong, motivated and professional specialists, as well as proper conditions for their work. Our task is to develop a broad network of infrastructure and bring essential services closer to people — in particular, to veterans, their children and families. said Ruslan Prykhodko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.

In our work, we combine two approaches: we focus on the priorities defined by the Government of Ukraine and work closely with local authorities. But at the end of this chain there is always a specific person — a mother who has lost her son, a wife waiting for her husband, a veteran who has lost their health, a child or a civilian dealing with the consequences of the war. The entire system should work to help this person become stronger. I am sincerely grateful to our partners, the European Commission, the Government of Poland, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, local authorities and civil society organisations, which together help shape the direction of the psychosocial support centres and make Ukraine stronger, said Paweł Kost, Head of the Solidarity Fund PL Representative Office in Ukraine.

An important part of the event was the signing of cooperation memorandums between the Centre and civil society organisations representing families of fallen Ukrainian defenders — “Vilni Voiny” and “Zhyvi v Sertsiakh”. The partnership will strengthen cooperation and improve families’ access to the services and support they need.

The establishment of the Psychosocial Support Centre of Odesa City Council is part of the Solidarity Fund PL Representative Office in Ukraine’s broader efforts to develop accessible psychosocial support at community level under the PRO_MentalHealth Psychosocial Programme.

In 2023, the Representative Office developed and implemented a pilot model for psychosocial support centres in Rivne Oblast. The model was subsequently expanded to other regions of Ukraine. Today, a network of 18 psychosocial support centres has been established across Rivne, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Poltava oblasts. The centres operate at the local level and provide comprehensive services to people who have experienced the traumatic effects of war.

There are currently four psychosocial support centres in Odesa Oblast — in Odesa, Berezivka, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi and the village of Safiany in Izmail Raion. All four are municipal institutions managed by local councils. As of the end of July 2026, specialists at the centres in Odesa Oblast had provided more than 10,000 services.

The Psychosocial Support Centre of Odesa City Council was established as part of the “Comprehensive Support for Children, Families and Communities Affected by the War” project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Solidarity Fund PL Representative Office in Ukraine under the PRO_MentalHealth Psychosocial Programme.