Opening of the First RETURNING Mental Health Center in Dnipro

The First Mental Health Center of the Nationwide RETURNING Network, Founded by Victor and Olena Pinchuk, Opens in Dnipro

A modern and comfortable mental health center for military personnel, veterans, and their family members has opened in Dnipro. This is the first center of the nationwide RETURNING (Ukr. «ПОВЕРНЕННЯ») network, founded by Victor and Olena Pinchuk to support Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces. Every year, more than 4,000 Ukrainian defenders and their family members will be able to receive comprehensive mental health support here.

At the first stage of the project, 20–25 RETURNING centers are planned to be established across Ukraine. Together, they will be able to provide free professional support to more than 105,000 heroes and heroines annually.

The new center has been established at one of Dnipro’s key healthcare facilities. Since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the city has become a major hub for supporting military personnel and civilians. It is also home to some of the country’s strongest medical teams, which save lives every day. 

During a meeting with specialists at the RETURNING mental health center, Victor Pinchuk recalled how, last year, he and his wife Olena visited heroes and heroines at RECOVERY centers and asked what the next step in supporting them could be. All the military personnel they spoke with confirmed the need for psychological support. “We understand that everyone in the country needs psychological support now — it seems to me that this means millions of people. But the greatest burden falls on our heroes and heroines. They are at the front, constantly risking their health and, unfortunately, losing their brothers and sisters in arms. Their families also need this support. That is why we have taken the first step. This year, I hope we will open at least 20 RETURNING mental health centers,” said the network’s founder.

All centers in the nationwide RETURNING network are established by philanthropists on the premises of public and municipal healthcare facilities. As part of the project, the first-floor premises of the main building of a Dnipro clinical hospital underwent a major renovation, creating a modern, comfortable mental health center that meets international accessibility standards.

To ensure a comfortable experience, the RETURNING mental health center has been designed as a barrier-free space. It features wide doorways, no thresholds, anti-slip flooring, accessible restrooms with sufficient space for wheelchair users, and showers equipped with seats and handrails. The center includes a reception area, individual and family counseling rooms, a group therapy room, a treatment room, staff facilities, and a day hospital ward.

The Dnipro RETURNING center provides psychotherapeutic support using cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused psychotherapy, the Gestalt approach, crisis counseling, narrative psychotherapy, and family counseling. Clients can also receive psychiatric care in accordance with current clinical treatment protocols.

The center’s specialists provide support to people experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depressive conditions, adjustment difficulties, and other consequences of traumatic events. To provide comprehensive mental health support, each center will have a multidisciplinary team comprising psychiatrists, psychologists, case managers, psychotherapists, nurses, and social workers.

“We help a person restore a sense of wholeness after an experience that has shattered them into pieces. Comprehensive support is provided by a multidisciplinary team that sees not only disorders, but also the individual’s personal story, pain, and path to recovery. In our work, we use evidence-based methods of treatment, psychological counseling, and psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral, Gestalt, and trauma-focused therapies, as well as stabilization, self-regulation, and crisis counseling techniques. We place particular emphasis on creating a comfortable atmosphere for a person’s full recovery in a safe and barrier-free environment,” says Yana Siahaillo, Head of the Dnipro RETURNING Center.

The center’s equipment meets modern standards for mental health recovery. It includes the Shiftwave System (USA), a massage and vibration chair designed for general wellness and stress management that stimulates the nervous system through pulsating waves, helping reduce stress and improve well-being. The center is also equipped with furniture and equipment for therapy rooms and reception areas, art therapy materials, anti-stress toys, yoga mats, tactile tools, and other resources. The center’s resources also include professional literature on psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy.

The founders of the RETURNING network, Victor and Olena Pinchuk, believe that high-quality mental health recovery requires a comprehensive approach. The goal of the RETURNING project is to develop the mental health sector in Ukraine by establishing a nationwide network and implementing educational programs for mental health professionals. In cooperation with leading Ukrainian and international experts, specialized training programs are being developed to help healthcare professionals provide effective support to people who have experienced trauma as a result of the war. In 2025, the project plans to hold 90 educational events, including the annual scientific and practical conference “RETURNING. The Path to Mental Recovery,” which will bring together leading professionals from across Ukraine. 

To date, Memoranda on the establishment of RETURNING mental health centers have been signed with 15 healthcare facilities. In the second half of 2025, new centers are scheduled to open in Volyn, Zhytomyr, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Kirovohrad, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions, expanding the geography of the RETURNING network and providing access to professional psychological support to even more military personnel, veterans, and their family members.