TRAINING SPECIALISTS TO PROVIDE GENDER-ORIENTED PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT TO WAR VETERANS BASED ON A TRAINING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED IN THE COMMUNITIES OF KHARKIV REGION

Abstract

The full-scale war in Ukraine has led to a significant increase in the number of individuals with combat experience, which has intensified the need for effective systems of psychosocial support for veterans and their families. The reintegration of veterans into civilian life is often accompanied by complex psychological challenges, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, emotional exhaustion, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships and social adaptation. In this context, the development of comprehensive support mechanisms that combine psychological assistance, social services, and community-based reintegration initiatives has become particularly important.

Particular importance is given to the development of local support mechanisms at the level of territorial communities, where veterans most often receive their first access to psychological, informational, and social assistance. Veteran support centers, social services, non-governmental organizations, and local self-government bodies play a crucial role in coordinating services, creating supportive environments, and strengthening community-based networks of assistance.

The article analyzes the experience of implementing a training program aimed at preparing specialists to provide gender-sensitive psychosocial support to war veterans in communities of the Kharkiv region. The program combined theoretical training with practical exercises focused on trauma-informed communication, psychosocial support strategies, and modern therapeutic approaches to working with trauma. The results of the program demonstrate positive dynamics in the development of professional competencies among participants, the expansion of their practical toolkit for working with veterans, and the strengthening of intersectoral cooperation within local communities.