The community includes 31 higher education institutions from 20 regions of Ukraine that have joined the “How Are You?” program – an initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena ZELENSKA.
On February 27, 2026, a meeting was held at State University “Zhytomyr Polytechnic” with the participation of: First Lady of Ukraine Olena ZELENSKA, Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykola TROFYMENKO, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs Yuliia KIRILOVA, representatives of the National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance, vice-rectors and heads of psychological services of universities within the “How Are You?” community, as well as mental health experts.
Poltava region was represented by the only higher education institution – National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic,” which is an official participant in the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”. The University is one of five higher education institutions in Ukraine that received the honorary award “Power of Gratitude” from the First Lady of Ukraine Olena ZELENSKA. This high recognition from the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine confirms the effectiveness of the University’s work in creating a safe environment to support students’ mental health.
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Representing Poltava Polytechnic at the event were: President of the University and Chairman of the Academic Council Volodymyr ONYSHCHENKO, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Anatolii MARTYNENKO, Acting Head of the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy Lesia KLEVAKA, Head of the Psychological Service Olena KRYVENKO, and specialist of the Academic Council Secretariat Oleksa SHCHUR-DUNETS.
Olena ZELENSKA emphasized: “One of the goals of the program is to make mental health support services accessible where people live and study. The fact that universities set such an example is invaluable.”
At Zhytomyr Polytechnic, effective support tools were presented:
- “Acts of Dignity” – a digital archive of stories of courage created on the basis of narrative therapy.
- Narrative processing of experience – a pathway to restoring personal dignity and transitioning from the position of a “trauma bearer” to the author of one’s own story.
- PsyLab psychological services – peer support groups “Heart-to-Heart Wednesday,” emotional release techniques, and fairy tale therapy to support internally displaced children and families of Heroes.
- Human Capital Workshop – a series of retreats for academic staff aimed at restoring internal resources and resilience.
- International expertise – implementation of global support standards in cooperation with Richard Tedeschi, Paula Krieger, and professors from Lund University.
Representatives of the University community also visited the Veteran Development Center, where a training program for specialists supporting veterans is implemented. The center operates an educational and practical laboratory for interactive classes, support groups, and thematic seminars.
During the meeting, research findings were presented: 65% of future specialists choose the profession of psychologist due to their desire to help others. Over the past five years, interest in the profession has doubled.
The Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine contributes to the development of a psychosocial support system and fosters a culture of mental health care in Ukraine.
Within the framework of the “How Are You?” program, six new educational courses for mental health professionals have been developed: “Prevention of Risky Behavior among Youth,” “Trauma-Informed Approach,” “Adolescence: A Guide for Adults,” “Legislation in the Field of Mental Health: A Specialist’s Navigator,” “Stress-Free Motherhood and Fatherhood,” and “Basic Communication Skills for Providers of Psychosocial Support.”
Additionally, the government program “Peer-to-Peer” was presented, which trains veteran consultants to provide primary psychosocial support to fellow service members and their families. The program is implemented at four universities: Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic,” National University of Ostroh Academy, and Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy. The program plans to train 100 veteran consultants.
The project is implemented with the support of the “Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine,” funded by the governments of the United Kingdom, Estonia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden.
We express our sincere gratitude to the team of the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine headed by Oksana Zbitnieva, as well as Acting Rector of the State University “Zhytomyr Polytechnic,” Professor Oksana Oliinyk, for their hospitality, openness to cooperation, and shared commitment to developing a culture of mental health care.
