From April to June, the training program was conducted for occupational therapists who are already working with military personnel and civilians affected by the war. It was a comprehensive course that combined online lectures, live work with clinical cases, and a detailed analysis of practical tools. The final stage, an offline training, took place in Dnipro.
Occupational therapy in the context of war is not only about restoring motor functions. It is about a person’s ability to return to everyday life: to walk independently, take care of themselves, use their home space, attend work and education. Service members, civilians, children – they all have different needs, and the task of an occupational therapist is to find a solution for everyone.
The training was aimed at improving practical skills in working with patients affected by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. Participants deepened their knowledge on analyzing occupation profiles, assessing the performance of daily tasks, developing individual rehabilitation routes, and providing recommendations for home environment arrangement.
The program covered the following key topics:
- occupational therapy for amputations and burns;
- combined trauma, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment;
- mental health of service members and civilians;
- peculiarities of children’s mental health during the war.
All the participants noted the high quality of the program, its practical benefits, and the critical importance of such training in today’s environment. The finalization of the course strengthened their confidence in their own actions, prepared them for difficult clinical cases, and expanded their knowledge of working with people who have suffered trauma as a result of war. After the course, they felt more confident in their own actions, ready to manage complex clinical cases, and expanded their knowledge of working with people who have suffered war-related trauma.
This training was another step towards building a strong, united professional community that helps people return to a full life.
We are grateful to each and every person who participated in the training and is ready to apply new approaches in their practice.
The training was conducted jointly with the Ukrainian Society of Occupational Therapists (UTOT).
This training course is part of the systematic work of the War Trauma Rehabilitation initiative to develop and improve the training of rehabilitation specialists in Ukraine. We focus our efforts on ensuring that specialists receive current knowledge, work according to evidence-based practices, and have access to proven international methods. This is important because quality rehabilitation begins with trained professionals. Therefore, we continue to work to create educational opportunities, strengthen the professional community, and implement changes that will help the Ukrainian rehabilitation system become even more effective.
