“Blue Haven for Ukraine” psychosocial support centre opens in Kyiv
January 16, 2026
On 13 January 2026, a new psychosocial support centre for police officers recovering from injuries, veterans, and their family members opened in Kyiv as part of the Blue Haven for Ukraine project. The project is implemented by the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine in cooperation with the National Police of Ukraine, with financial support from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The new Kyiv location complements centres already operating in Lviv, Rivne, and Vinnytsia.
The opening was attended by Ivan Vyhivskyi, Head of the National Police of Ukraine; his Deputy, Serhii Kobets; Head of the Main Department of the National Police in Kyiv, Dmytro Shumeiko; the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine, Alle Dorhout; and Rolf Holmboe, Head of the European Union Advisory Mission to Ukraine.
“Blue Haven for Ukraine is about supporting and assisting police officers who today, alongside other security and defence forces, are serving on the front line,” said Ivan Vyhivskyi, Head of the National Police of Ukraine, during the opening of the centre.
According to Vyhivskyi, the project aims to build a network of psychosocial support for injured police officers, veterans, and their family members, creating an environment where mutual support and human dignity go hand in hand with professional standards of service.
Head of the Kyiv Police Dmytro Shumeiko stressed that the new centre is intended to become a place of support and recovery for police officers and their families, particularly for those returning from combat operations or those who work every day in conditions of increased risk. He noted that social protection for police officers is the foundation of trust between the state and society.
The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine, Alle Dorhout, noted that six months have passed since the opening of the first centre in Lviv, during which Ukrainian trainers completed specialised training in the use of modern psychosocial support methods.
“Today, we mark a new important step in our cooperation — the opening of the Blue Haven for Ukraine centre in Kyiv. We are pleased to see that the Dutch model is being adapted to the Ukrainian context and rolled out nationwide with the support of the Netherlands Police and the Netherlands National Psychotrauma Centrum ARQ,” the Ambassador said.
He noted that wartime policing is a completely different reality, which is why the peer-to-peer support model is so important, as police officers are often best understood by their colleagues. He also expressed hope that, with the support of EUAM, similar psychosocial support structures could be established for other law enforcement agencies within the Ministry of Internal Affairs system.
The Head of EUAM Ukraine, Rolf Holmboe, noted that for a long time the Mission had focused on supporting reforms of the National Police of Ukraine. At the same time, following the start of the full-scale invasion, EUAM received a request to expand its support in response to new challenges related to the war.
“Today’s opening of the Blue Haven location in Kyiv reflects the project’s steady growth and increasing impact. With a solid institutional framework, active stakeholder engagement, and a strong focus on operational excellence, Blue Haven for Ukraine continues to make a significant contribution to the transformation and strengthening of mental health care for the Ukrainian law enforcement sector,” he said.
The Kyiv centre offers facilities for individual and group work, training sessions, workshops and team sessions, as well as spaces for relaxation and the restoration of emotional balance. Support tools include modern psychological methods, in particular canine-assisted therapy and art therapy.
What has been achieved during the first year of the project
The results of the project’s implementation were presented during the scientific and practical conference “The Blue Haven for Ukraine Project: Towards Building a Sustainable and Effective System of Psychosocial Support for Police Officers”, which took place in Kyiv on the day of the centre’s opening.
The conference brought together psychosocial support specialists, representatives of public authorities, and international partners. Participants discussed the results achieved so far and the next steps in developing the support system.
In 2025, more than 200 police officers completed specialised training in Lviv, Kraków, and Amsterdam, covering peer and collegial support programmes, the basics of psychotraumatology (EMDR), and canine-assisted therapy.
In 2026, the project envisages the opening of new permanent centres in Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk, the deployment of mobile psychosocial support units to operate in remote or high-stress locations, and the training of up to 1,500 counsellors. This is intended to ensure the continuity and accessibility of psychosocial support for police officers across the country.
