Four Psychosocial Support Centres created under the EU-supported PRO_MentalHealth model opened in Dnipropetrovsk Region
On 5–6 October 2026, four Psychosocial Support Centres were officially opened in Dnipropetrovsk Region. The Centres were established within the “Integrated support for war-affected children, families and communities" project - funded by the European Union (EU) under Rapid Response and implemented by the Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine within the framework of PRO_MentalHealth Psychosocial Support Programme.
The Centres were established in late 2025 in the cities of Dnipro and Verkhnodniprovsk, the urban-type settlement of Tsarychanka, and the village of Lozuvatka. In January 2026, they received vehicles for mobile teams and targeted financial assistance for the establishment and development of the Centres, totalling approximately UAH 14 million.
Psychosocial Support Centres are spaces where veterans, their family members, military personnel, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities and other community residents affected by the war can access comprehensive and accessible psychosocial support. This includes social services such as psychological support, psychoeducation, career guidance and information services; medical services, including psychiatric care; physical and sports rehabilitation; legal assistance; and other services.
Services are provided by multidisciplinary teams of specialists both on an outpatient basis at the Centres and through mobile outreach by mobile teams. With the support of the project, the Centre premises were renovated, and furniture and equipment for physical and sports rehabilitation were purchased.
Since beginning their operations, the four Centres have provided more than 20,000 services and delivered more than 14,000 activities, not only in the localities where the Centres are based, but also in remote starosta districts of the communities through mobile multidisciplinary teams.
The opening ceremonies were attended by Peter Wagner, Head of Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI), European Commission; Piotr Łukasiewicz, Chargé d'affaires of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine; Artur Grossman, Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine; Pavel Kost, Country Director, the Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine; Oleksandr Hanzha, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration; representatives of local self-government bodies; heads of the Psychosocial Support Centres; service users; and journalists.
“As we travelled here, we saw the Alleys of Glory in every village and town, with photographs of fallen Defenders, rows of flags reminding us of the price of freedom. People are paying with their lives, but also with their physical and mental health. The EU has been supporting Ukrainian veterans since before the full-scale invasion. Building on this, we are today happy to have found in the Solidarity Fund PL a reliable partner to continue and expand our work. The opening of these Centres is an example of Europe standing together with Ukraine and standing up for Ukraine”, Peter Wagner said.
Piotr Łukasiewicz, Chargé d'affaires of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine, emphasised Poland’s solidarity with Ukraine:
“The opening of the Psychosocial Support Centres is a way to express our gratitude to the Defenders of Ukraine for defending their homeland, as well as for protecting Europe, including my country, Poland. I remember our first meeting with Peter Wagner in Brussels, when we were just beginning to work on developing this project, and I am very happy to see how it is working now, because we can already see the fruits of that meeting. I would like to express my gratitude to the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, as well as to the Solidarity Fund PL. It is worth remembering that solidarity is the best Polish word that has also become a word of the EU.”
Pavel Kost, Country Director, the Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine, noted that PRO_MentalHealth is not only about establishing Psychosocial Support Centres and providing services, but also about strengthening the capacity of communities to independently build a system of psychosocial support. An important part of this work is cooperation with local authorities and state institutions so that the approaches developed become part of a sustainable support system in Ukraine.
According to him, the PRO_MentalHealth Programme puts an individual person at its centre — a veteran, a military family, or civilians whose lives have been changed by the war. The work of the Psychosocial Support Centres is intended to help these people return to life and find the strength to move forward:
“I would like to thank the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments and Peter Wagner personally for their trust in our team and for their support. I would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and the Embassy of Poland in Ukraine for the opportunity to implement projects for veterans and other people affected by the war. And I would especially like to thank the regional and local authorities for their support and for having the courage to take responsibility for the sustainability of these Centres”, Pavel Kost said.
During the ceremonies, Oleksandr Hanzha, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Region Military Civil Administration, emphasised that supporting people’s vitality and resilience is one of the most important priorities today:
“War affects people’s psychological well-being, families, and their ability to return to their normal lives after loss and difficult experiences. Our military personnel, veterans and their families are particularly in need of this kind of support. Our task is to make professional psychosocial support accessible to everyone who needs it. Centres like Zhyttiesyla in Tsarychanka help people recover, return to fulfilling lives and not face their problems alone. I would like to thank our partners for supporting such important projects”, the Head of the Regional Military Administration said.
The “Integrated support for war-affected children, families and communities” project aims to strengthen the resilience of Ukrainians by providing timely assistance to people affected by the war and developing psychosocial rehabilitation services at the local level, with a focus on sustainable institutional support. It has two main objectives: 1) to strengthen the capacity of territorial communities to provide psychosocial services, including to children, veterans and their family members, based on the PRO_MentalHealth (PRO_MH) model; and 2) to improve access to rehabilitation support programmes, including educational services, for children, young people, their families and other vulnerable groups affected by the war.
A people-centred approach is one of the key principles underpinning the work of the Centres: the support system is built around the needs of each individual, their safety, dignity and ability to return to a fulfilling life. According to the Polish side, this approach is an integral part of the European vision of developing institutions, cities and society — one in which the individual remains at the centre of the system.
The establishment of Psychosocial Support Centres in Dnipropetrovsk oblast is part of the systematic work of the Representative Office of the Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine to develop accessible psychosocial support at the community level within the PRO_MentalHealth Programme. A network of 18 Psychosocial Support Centres has now been established in Rivne, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Poltava regions.
The Psychosocial Support Centres were established within the framework of the “Integrated support for war-affected children, families and communities” project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Representative Office of the Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine within the PRO_MentalHealth Psychosocial Programme.
More information
Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine: www.solidarityfund.org.ua
PRO_MentalHealth Programme — www.promentalhealth.in.ua
Social media:
Solidarity Fund PL in Ukraine: https://www.facebook.com/solidarityfund.ua/
EU Delegation in Ukraine: https://www.facebook.com/EUDelegationUkraine/