Warrior Wellness Initiative
The Purpose
The war in Ukraine against Russian aggression and tyranny has produced extreme pressure and hardship on the brave men and women of the armed forces battling to preserve Ukraine's freedom and democracy. It has also taken a toll on their families. In addition to physical wounds of war, the extreme stress of battle has given rise to a myriad of wellness and mental health concerns for which appropriate treatment resources are difficult if not impossible to access under the current circumstances.
The Ukraine Freedom Alliance would like to offer to the Ukraine SOF Command, and ultimately all Ukraine Armed Forces, a state-of-the-art program - The Ukraine Warrior Wellness Initiative. This initiative is designed to provide a best-in-class recovery and wellness counseling to the brave soldiers of Ukraine.
The Ukraine Freedom Alliance will conduct a pilot project along with its wellness partners to define protocols for a two-week program for select members of Ukraine forces. The initial pilot will take place over a 3 -month period and will include 120 members of Ukraine Special Operations Forces and other designated Ukraine military personnel, with the goal of expanding the program to all branches of the Ukraine military.
The primary therapeutic objective of the program is to return the brave fighters rejuvenated to continue defending Ukraine. Additionally, this initiative will begin the work and research to help the soldiers and their families after the war is won. The ultimate goal is to use this program to aid development and facilitate the establishment of a Veteran Affairs program in Ukraine.
Pilot Program
- 12 weeks
- 20 Operators per week from Ukraine Special Operations Forces – 120 Operators total
- Location in Western Ukraine
- UFA Wellness Protocol Advisory Board will work with Ukraine SOF Social Welfare Officer.
- Initial funding for the pilot will be from a public-private partnership between private donors and in kind contributions from Ukraine SOF, and Allied SOF stakeholders.
- Initial private capitalization needed for pilot program: $100,000. This will be paired with Ukraine military funding or in-kind contributions and other partner contributions, as well as local in-kind contributions.
- Upon the conclusion of the pilot program, impact evaluations will be conducted to address any necessary improvements and develop plans to scale the program to other military branches.