News
10.11.2025
The sixth mental health center of the RETURNING network opened in Khmelnytskyi
A comfortable and inclusive RETURNING (ukr. ПОВЕРНЕННЯ ) mental health center has opened in Khmelnytskyi — for service members, veterans, and their families. This is already the sixth facility of the national network founded by Victor and Olena Pinchuk to support Ukraine’s Defense and Security Forces.
Every year, the Khmelnytskyi RETURNING Center will provide professional, high-quality psychological care to more than 4,000 defenders.
Service members, veterans, and their family members who have faced the consequences of psychological trauma can seek help at the RETURNING Mental Health Center in Khmelnytskyi. The specialists of the center work with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depressive disorders, adjustment and psychosomatic difficulties, as well as other consequences of traumatic experiences. All services at the RETURNING Center are free of charge for visitors.
The RETURNING project demonstrates a successful partnership between the private sector and the state, in which philanthropists establish mental health centers based on public medical institutions. All RETURNING centers provide free outpatient care to defenders and their families.
“The RETURNING project combines two key directions — the development of a network of centers across Ukraine and the education of mental-health professionals. We are creating a network where help is accessible to every service member and their loved ones, while also investing in knowledge so that Ukrainian specialists can provide support at the highest level. This synergy ensures effective recovery for our warriors and their families,” said Svitlana Grytsenko, Head of the RETURNING project.
The new center of the network was established on the basis of one of Khmelnytskyi region’s key medical institutions. The Khmelnytskyi RETURNING Center includes rooms for individual, family, and group therapy; a day-care ward equipped with electric functional beds; a reception area with a waiting zone; a procedure room; and modern inclusive sanitary facilities.
A distinctive feature of the Khmelnytskyi Center is a free-expression space with pottery and art workshops. Art therapy is one of the effective tools for recovery — it helps people safely express emotions, process traumatic experiences, and regain inner balance through creativity.
The center is equipped with a Shiftwave System (USA) for psychological relief, EMDR therapy kits, materials for art and pottery therapy, board games, anti-stress tools, and equipment for body practices. For specialists, there is a multimedia projector, computer equipment, and access to a professional library.
As in all RETURNING network centers, a multidisciplinary team works with patients in Khmelnytskyi — psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, nurses, case managers, and social workers. They support individuals at every stage — from initial consultation to long-term therapy and psychological recovery.
“Effective help is always a team effort. In our center, each person is accompanied by professionals from different fields — from a psychiatrist and psychologist to a social worker. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to see the person as a whole, taking into account their experiences, needs, and resources. Thanks to this, recovery becomes consistent, profound, and effective,” said Anait Bolibrukh, Head of the RETURNING Mental Health Center in Khmelnytskyi.
The RETURNING project was founded by Victor and Olena Pinchuk to help service members, veterans, and their families overcome the psychological consequences of war. All centers of the network are established on the basis of public medical institutions and provide free outpatient care.
Today, RETURNING centers are already operating in Dnipro, Ternopil, Poltava, Kropyvnytskyi, Rivne, and Khmelnytskyi. At the first stage of the RETURNING project, 20–25 mental health centers are planned to open across Ukraine. Each year, more than 100,000 service members, veterans, and their families will be able to receive professional psychological support — restoring strength, balance, and faith in themselves.
