IREX’s Veteran Reintegration Program aims to improve the quality of and access to services available to Ukraine’s veterans, including the most vulnerable veteran populations, as they transition to civilian life. Its activities focus on expanding veterans’ access to employment and vocational training opportunities, as well as enhancing their access to capable and responsive psychosocial and physical rehabilitation services.  

The Veteran Reintegration Program was originally focused on Anti-terrorist Operation/Joint Forces Operation veterans from the fighting in the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblast of Ukraine but has significantly expanded its scope following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. 

1. Build institutional capacity of Ukraine’s veteran services system and increase the connectivity to non-governmental partners.   
2. Increase capacity of mental health service providers and expand veteran access to Ukraine’s psychosocial and mental health services with a focus on the most at-risk veteran populations.
3. Expand veteran employment and vocational training opportunities, with a focus on the most vulnerable veteran populations.

• Fill critical gaps in research and data: IREX works through a series of focus groups and a nationwide survey to assess veterans’ needs, available resources, and the current capabilities of communities and service providers. 
• Expand employment opportunities: The program supports veteran employment and vocational training opportunities by providing training on employment skills, advocating for private- and public-sector employees to hire veterans, and facilitating the hiring of veterans.
• Increase access to mental health services: IREX provides training for mental health professionals and volunteers who work with veterans and their families, supplying mobile support services for veterans and organizing campaigns to raise awareness of mental health support.
• Support the Ministry of Veterans Affairs: The program supports the ministry’s development of a veteran e-registry, strengthens cooperation and information sharing between the ministry and NGO partners, and organizes campaigns to inform veterans about available resources.

Under the Veteran Reintegration Program, IREX:

• Developed an e-registry for veterans, enabling the Ministry of Veteran Affairs to provide digital services and interact with veterans using mobile technology. Over 215,000 veterans and family members used the system, with 24,000 disabled veterans receiving financial support.
• Allocated $5M in grants to 33 local organizations supporting veterans' employment, mental health, and marginalized groups. These subgrants assisted 250,000 veterans and family members with training, therapy, and other services.
• Offered $500 scholarships through the Hard Skills program to 183 veterans for courses in IT, project management, psychology, design, and more to improve job prospects.
• Released a manual on psychosocial support for social workers, viewed over 60,000 times and requested by 650+ professionals, helping them support veterans' mental health needs.
• Trained close to 300 social workers to address veterans' psychological needs.
• Reaching 13.2M people through a national mental health awareness campaign for veterans and provided mental health support to 26,000 individuals.
• Translated and distributed 140 international protocols on veterans' mental and physical health, training 206 family doctors on best medical practices for working with veterans.
• Developed the “Praktyka” guidebook with Veteran Hub to help HR professionals improve veteran hiring practices, engaging 173 companies with 2M employees.
• Created an online course for State Employment Centers and trained over 4.1k employees to enhance career counseling services for veterans, improving employment outcomes. 
• Partnered with Veteran Hub to establish safe spaces for veterans, expanding support through hubs in Dnipro and Vinnytsia, mobile services, Plus Plus centers, and a dedicated hotline.