“HAB | Lviv Habilitation Center” will open in Lviv on March 7. This is an initiative of the Alliance for Public Health in cooperation with the National Rehabilitation Center UNBROKEN.

“HAB | Lviv Habilitation Center” is a transitional barrier-free space that provides an opportunity to safely survive the experience of war in order to move on. Veterans and civilians who have already undergone physical rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center and need to adapt to new living conditions will learn new skills here.

The area of the habilitation center is 660 square meters. It has 9 rooms and 27 beds. It is planned that 300 residents will undergo rehabilitation there in a year. 

The habilitation process will be as similar as possible to what awaits veterans and wounded civilians at home. It will include independent cooking, shopping, and public transportation skills.

The idea behind the center is the term “habilitation,” which is the basis of the name and means a combination of psychological assistance, group work, and self-study. With the help of coaches, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists, veterans and civilians will spend three weeks learning to be autonomous in an inclusive space and beyond.

The first residents of the center are:

Yana Kovaleva, a librarian from Avdiivka, was injured in the fighting and had her right leg amputated. She underwent treatment and rehabilitation at Unbroken. She is adapting to everyday life at the Lviv Habilitation Center.

Ilya Dmytryshyn, a soldier with the Air Assault Forces, was wounded during the defense of Ukraine. He was treated and rehabilitated at Unbroken. He is focusing on adaptation to the status of a veteran and a person with a disability, working on his psycho-emotional state and planning for the future at the Lviv Habilitation Center.

According to forecasts, after the victory in the war, there will be more than 5 million representatives of the veteran community in Ukraine: veterans, their families, and families of the fallen. According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, more than 851,068 war veterans are currently registered in Ukraine. In the active phase of hostilities, this huge number of people in need of assistance will only increase. That is why the opening of the first Habilitation Center in Ukraine aims to become a focal point for those who continue their life journey in a new context.

During the opening, it is planned to:

  • Presentation of the space and direction of habilitation development in Ukraine
  • Communication with residents and healthcare professionals
  • Participants will be able to join a kintsugi master class with veterans

The event will be attended by:

  • Andriy Klepikov – Executive Director of ICF Alliance for Public Health.
  • Oleh Bereziuk – Head of the psychosocial direction of the Centre UNBREAKABLE.
  • Oleh Bilyansky – Head of the UNBREAKABLE Centre.
  • Residents of the centre

When: Thursday, 7 March at 12:00

Where: 86B Stryiska St. (Park Tower residential complex), video on how to find us

During the opening it is planned:

  • Presentation of the space and direction of habilitation development in Ukraine
  • Communication with residents and healthcare professionals
  • Participants will be able to join a kintsugi masterclass with veterans

Contacts:

  • Anna Horkun, PM “HAB | Lviv Habilitation Center”, +38(067) 220-90-40 (WhatsApp), horkun@aph.org.ua
  • Inna Gavrylova, Senior PR and Communications Manager, Alliance for Public Health, gavrylova@aph.org.ua

About:

The Alliance for Public Health has 23 years of experience in implementing access and treatment sustainability programs for HIV/TB programs. Since the beginning of the war, a number of initiatives and programs have been launched: the Humanitarian Convoy, which has transported more than 1.2 million tons of cargo, launched the international emergency support and coordination program HelpNow HUB for Ukrainians around the world, we have expanded the range of services of our 50 mobile outpatient clinics, purchased bicycles in regions where social workers could not otherwise reach patients, and expanded programs to provide direct humanitarian, social and psychological support. Currently, the Alliance for Public Health supports 10 shelters for refugees and internally displaced persons across Ukraine.

The National Rehabilitation Center “UNBROKEN” is a unique place where adults and children affected by the war receive comprehensive, qualified medical care. This includes reconstructive surgery, orthopedics and robotic prosthetics. Not only do the victims receive prostheses, but they are also manufactured here. In addition, the Center provides physical, psychological and psychosocial rehabilitation for injured military and civilians. Since the start of the full-scale war, more than 16,000 Ukrainians affected by the hostilities have received help at the Center.