Mind the Future

"Think about the future: empowering Ukraine's youth through innovative solutions in the field of mental health"

LHSI is proud to be the National Implementer of the three-year project "Mind the Future", supported by the International Business Agency of the Netherlands Government through the Ukraine Partnership Fund 2 (UPF2). This initiative is part of the broader recovery and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine and aims to support the mental well-being and resilience of young people affected by war and internal displacement.

The purpose of the project

The project aims to contribute to the recovery of Ukraine and the sustainable restoration of its economy and society by:

promoting the resilience of Ukrainian youth;
providing young people with opportunities to become active participants in the country's socio-economic recovery.

The goal is achieved by increasing the effectiveness and accessibility of local mental health services for vulnerable youth affected by war.

Project objectives

Increase the availability and quality of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services for youth aged 12–26.
Train and support local MHPSS providers, educators, and community leaders in delivering youth-centered mental health services.
Promote local and cross-border cooperation in implementing innovative mental health and community well-being programs.

Key innovations

Virtual Reality (VR)-Based Mental Health Support:
The first intervention in Ukraine to use VR to provide short-term, immersive psychosocial support to youth. LHSI adapts a model of successful practices from the Netherlands and provides training of trainers to deliver VR therapy in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Odesa.
Mobile mental health consultation point model:
Outreach centers provide preventive and remedial care in remote communities, schools, and clinics. They facilitate direct service delivery to youth and engage families and educators in raising awareness about mental health.

Where we work

Offline and online services: Kyiv city, Vinnytsia region, Odesa region.

Expected results by 2028

Provide mental health services using VR for 6,300 young people.
Provide services through mobile consultation points 6,000 children and young people.
Teach 50 local trainers, of which 8 – master trainers, for high-quality provision of VR services.
Support 120 MHPSS professionals and attract 350 community leaders through seminars and educational events.

The role of LHSI

LHSI, as the only Ukrainian project implementer, leads the adaptation and implementation of all innovations, using its experience:

Over 20 years of experience in the field of health care, child protection and youth development.
Partnership with 75 cities and communities, implementation of projects with over 30 social service centers.
A trained national team of social workers, psychologists, and medical professionals.

LHSI facilitates the integration of project tools into national systems and ensures long-term sustainability through partnerships with local authorities and service providers.