Israeli Trauma Coalition opens resilience center in Ukraine

The Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) announced Wednesday that they will inaugurate a new resilience center in Odessa, Ukraine to help those affected by the Russia-Ukraine War.

The new resilience center, which is set to open on Friday, will become the 5th active center developed by the ITC since the onset of the war in February 2022. Max Goldenberg, head of International Training at the ITC, will join Alex Gershnov, the ITC’s Director of Content Development and Training in the coalition's programs in Ukraine, at the center's inauguration event.

"The Resilience Center that opened this week in Odessa expands and deepens the assistance provided to Ukrainian citizens, who are forced to deal not only with the physical damage of the terrible war but also with the mental costs that will accompany them for the rest of their lives,” Goldenberg said in a statement.

ITC Resilience Centers

The ITC has developed multiple resiliency centers – which provide counseling and mental health services to victims of terror attacks – as part of their efforts to aid victims in Ukraine since the war began. The ITC has trained about 4,000 Ukrainian professionals in methods of intervention and treatment in trauma cases, dealing with loss, ways of informing about loss, child care, and more.

“Our role is to give professionals in Ukraine - psychologists, social workers, medical and educational professionals, and more - the tools and knowledge to deal with anxiety and trauma, based on the experience we have gained in Israel and in numerous crises/emergencies around the world,” explained Goldenberg.

The construction and development of resilience centers in Ukraine are among the ITC’s emergency services, rehabilitation, and training infrastructure provided to communities in crisis around the world.

"The Resilience Center in Odessa is the fifth center we operate in Ukraine - this expresses our deep commitment to the well-being of the country's citizens, who experience the damage of the severe war every day," Goldenberg declared.

The Israel Trauma Coalition

Established in 2001, the Israel Trauma Coalition was founded with the goal of helping authorities, organizations, communities, and individuals deal with a crisis in the best possible manner in Israel and across the world. 

The ITC provides counseling and direct trauma care, trains professional therapists, offers emergency services, establishes and manages resilience centers throughout Israel, and serves as a national knowledge center that provides leadership, guidance, and resources before, during, and after a crisis.