Resilience centers to be opened in 100 more hromadas: selection announced
27 February 16:35
From March 3 to March 12, Ukrainian communities will have the opportunity to participate in the selection process for the project to create Resilience Centers. This is reported by the Government portal, Komersant ukrainskyi informs.
The selection of participants will be carried out by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.
Reportedly, more than 200 communities in 23 regions of Ukraine have already joined the pilot project and opened Resilience Centers to help residents cope with the stress and challenges of war.
“The state budget for 2025 already provides for funds that will allow us to select about 100 more communities this year where Ukrainians will receive high-quality psychosocial support free of charge,” said Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine.
What does the creation of such a center bring to the community?
Every resident of the community who joins the project will have access to professional support from psychologists and social specialists.
The Resilience Center will also become an important part of the local social infrastructure, where volunteer initiatives will be developed to strengthen the community. At the same time, the state will cover the costs of the team’s work to ensure that the Center operates sustainably.
What you need to join the project
To open the Resilience Center, the community must prepare a room that meets the requirements of barrier-free access and take over its maintenance.
The detailed requirements for the premises and the application procedure are set out in the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of October 3, 2023, No. 1049. This document defines the procedure for implementing a pilot project to introduce a comprehensive social service to build resilience.
The authorized body of the community submits an application in an arbitrary form in electronic format. It should indicate the number of residents and the availability of premises for the provision of a comprehensive service.
If the premises are
– in communal ownership, the application must be accompanied by a decision to allocate such premises for the service;
– in state ownership, then the use of the premises is carried out in accordance with the legislation on the lease of state and municipal property;
– in private ownership, the application must be accompanied by a written consent of the benefactor.
The project can be funded from three sources: the local budget, state funds, and philanthropists. The state finances the provision of a comprehensive resilience building service by concluding a contract with the service provider.
The application and all necessary documents should be sent to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected].
Applications from territorial communities will be accepted from March 3 to March 12 inclusive (until 23:59).
The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Policy within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “Are You OK?” of First Lady Olena Zelenska. This program is designed to create a system of services and facilities that can support Ukrainians in various ways and effective mechanisms in the difficult times of a full-scale war.
The relevance of psychological assistance
The level of satisfaction with one’s own psychological state continues to decline: while in 2022 it was 41%, by the beginning of 2025 it had fallen to 36%.
These are the results of the fourth wave of an all-Ukrainian survey conducted in December 2024-January 2025 by 4Service as part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”. In general, this study has been conducted since 2022.
The levels of fatigue, tension, fear, and irritation continue to be high among the surveyed Ukrainians. Emotions that indicate psychological stress, such as powerlessness, frustration, and despair, are also relevant for Ukrainians in early 2025.
The war and related challenges remain the main source of psychological stress. 83% of respondents experience high levels of stress, with 78% directly attributing it to the full-scale Russian invasion. Financial difficulties are a concern for 52% of the population, and the socio-political situation is a concern for 47% of respondents.
The biggest concerns about the war remain the safety of loved ones (up to 74% in the fourth wave) and the risk to life and the possibility of injury (54%). Also, the share of respondents who are worried about losing their source of income amounted to 39%.
Recently, respondents have most often felt anxious and tense (58%), sleep disturbances (50%), exhaustion (49%), low mood (49%), emotional instability (45%), and irritation or anger (44%).
At the same time, Ukrainians demonstrate the ability to cope with stress constructively. Instead of destructive practices, people choose such ways to maintain mental health as communicating with friends or family (36%), watching movies (35%), and listening to music (30%). “Staying” on the Internet remains the main strategy for distracting from stress – 40% of respondents use it.
