The training for case managers who will work in their communities providing social services to veterans has commenced, with the first group consisting of 30 participants from Khmelnytska Oblast. The training for each group lasts 6 days and is being conducted by the NGO “Prostir Mozhlyvostei” with support from the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA). The training will cover aspects such as identifying and communicating on the needs and challenges faced by veterans, existing opportunities for veterans on education, medical care, rehabilitation, social services, and entrepreneurship at the community level, and working with veterans’ families.
The veteran case managers are being trained according to a program approved by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, and this training course, which is titled “Veterans’ Support System in Communities Using Case Management” is accepted at the national level.
Oksana Koliada, project manager at the NGO “Prostir Mozhlyvostei”, noted:
“A veteran case manager is a specialist who should simplify the life of a veteran in the community as much as possible by providing him or her with all the information needed to facilitate their reintegration. The extent to which such a specialist is effective depends on whether we can fully use the human potential of veterans or lose it. It does not matter what this specialist will be called in the end. The main thing is that he or she performs these functions and uses the case management tools. That is why we have developed our training program based on the practical experience of the coaching team in both veteran policy and social issues. We are pleased that there is a demand from society and communities for such specialists, and our task today is to train as many case managers as possible who will start working without waiting for demobilization. After all, we do not forget that there are families who are waiting and need support, as well as the wounded who are already returning and who deserve adequate treatment from society,” The overall project will last until the end of the year and involves training both veteran case managers and coaching teams that will be able to work in the regions. This will make it possible to reach even more people who can potentially work as case managers.
Background: In February 2023, ERA signed a memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Social Policy and the NGO “Prostir Mozhlyvostei”. A pilot course was then held to train case managers in communities in three oblasts: Lviv, Rivne, and Khmelnytskyi. The 30 trained specialists are already working in the social sector of the regions or are planned to be appointed to the newly created units for working with veterans.