During her visit to Zakarpattia, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska visited the Resilience Center, the Youth Hub, and participated in the presentation of the regional plan for the "How Are You?" program.
The President's wife visited the Resilience Center – one of 22 centers across the country – where individuals can receive consultations on social and legal issues and obtain necessary assistance. This project is part of the First Lady's initiative – the National Mental Health Program "How Are You?".
In Uzhhorod, there is also a shelter for victims of violence and a safe space for women and girls called "Vilna."
"It’s great when different experiences and developments merge into the National Mental Health Program. Together, we strengthen each other and the country," Olena Zelenska remarked.
She also visited the Youth Hub, which opened this April with the support of UNICEF. It is a space for informal education, coworking, workshops, and training sessions. The center provides support and teaches young people how to help themselves and others. There are 350 such centers across Ukraine.
"Today, knowing how to help yourself and those around you is as important for modern youth as professional education," the First Lady noted.
Additionally, she participated in a working group meeting and the presentation of the "How Are You?" program.
The President's wife emphasized that, according to the audit results, mental health and psychosocial support services are available in all 64 territorial communities of Zakarpattia. Thirty-four primary care facilities offer patients free mental health services.
At the same time, the audit identified an issue with the uneven distribution of services across communities. Addressing this issue is one of the key tasks for the program's consultants.
"The goal of the National Mental Health Program is for help to be as available as possible to each individual. This is especially important in Zakarpattia, where there are over 300,000 internally displaced persons who particularly need mental health support," Olena Zelenska concluded.