News
24.03.2026
The 12th mental health center of the nationwide RETURNING network opens in Zhytomyr
A comfortable, inclusive, and modern RETURNING (ПОВЕРНЕННЯ - ukr.) mental health center for service members, veterans, and their families has opened in Zhytomyr. This is the twelfth center in the nationwide network founded by Victor and Olena Pinchuk to support the mental health of Ukraine’s defenders, veterans, and their families affected by the psychological consequences of war.
Each year, more than 4,000 service members, veterans, and their family members will be able to receive free, professional care at the Zhytomyr RETURNING center.
Anyone who has experienced the effects of psychological trauma can seek support at the RETURNING mental health center in Zhytomyr. The center’s specialists work with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depressive disorders, adjustment and psychosomatic difficulties, as well as other consequences of traumatic experiences. All services at the RETURNING center are provided free of charge.
“We are building the RETURNING network of centers with my wife Olena, fully aware that our heroes on the front lines are under immense psychological pressure. We must help them return to a normal life as much as possible. Supporting the mental health of service members, veterans, and their families must be an absolute priority for the state. We see that this approach works, and the private sector can be a strong partner in this effort,” said Victor Pinchuk, founder of the RETURNING project.
“More than 10,000 of our heroes, veterans, and their family members are already receiving support at RETURNING centers,” he added.
The RETURNING project is an example of effective public-private partnership, where philanthropists establish mental health centers within state medical institutions. The new RETURNING center in Zhytomyr is located at 1 Viktora Kosenka Street, on the premises of the former regional medical consultative and diagnostic center. The entire space has been designed in accordance with modern accessibility standards.
The Zhytomyr RETURNING center includes rooms for individual and family therapy, a group therapy hall, a two-bed day inpatient unit equipped with medical functional beds, a treatment room, a reception area with a waiting space, and staff facilities. The space is fully inclusive, featuring wide doorways, no thresholds, and restrooms adapted for wheelchair users.
The center is equipped with innovative tools, including the Shiftwave System (USA) for psychological relief, an EMDR therapy kit, computer equipment for specialists, art therapy materials, stress-relief tools, and resources for body-based practices. The team has also received a professional library with literature on psychology, psychiatry, and psychotherapy.
As in other RETURNING centers, care is provided by a multidisciplinary mental health team. In Zhytomyr, this team includes psychiatrists, a psychologist, clinical psychologists, a psychotherapist, a social worker, a head nurse, a nurse, and junior medical staff. This approach ensures comprehensive support that addresses each individual’s clinical, psychological, and social needs.
“The opening of the RETURNING center today is especially timely, as prolonged stress and traumatic experiences have the greatest impact on service members, veterans, and their families. Timely professional support is not only assistance, but also a tool for maintaining mental resilience, restoring functioning, and preventing future complications. We are grateful to Victor and Olena Pinchuk for creating opportunities for systematic mental health support and for ongoing educational opportunities for our team,” said Alyona Tsvetkova, Head of the RETURNING Mental Health Center in Zhytomyr.
The goal of RETURNING is not only to provide psychological recovery, but also to systematically develop the mental health sector in Ukraine. Since the project’s launch in 2025, nearly 100 educational events have been held within 14 training programs, engaging more than 1,500 specialists both from within the RETURNING network and beyond. International internships have also been organized in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
In addition to Zhytomyr, the RETURNING mental health network already operates in Dnipro, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Ternopil, Rivne, Lutsk, Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, and Ivano-Frankivsk. In the first phase of the project, its founders, Victor and Olena Pinchuk, plan to expand the network to 25 centers.
