New Start

New Start: Psychological Resilience for Ukrainian Healthcare Workers

Program Overview
New Start is a specialized recovery and burnout prevention program developed by the Mission Ukraine in partnership with international trauma and project management experts, drawing on their extensive 8-year history of delivering specialized trauma-informed care to veterans and first responders. This initiative is delivered in cooperation with the To Be an Angel (Germany) and Flix SE/FlixBus (Germany), with the vital financial support of the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS).
Since the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian medical professionals have been operating under unsustainable pressure. Our program provides a research-based, holistic environment designed to help these essential workers regain the resilience needed to continue saving lives.

The Urgent Need: A Medical System Under Pressure

Anonymized data from our participants reveals a medical workforce at a breaking point. Professionals from major hubs such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia report extreme psychological distress.

• Severe Symptoms: Surgeons, paramedics, and other medical staff report chronic exhaustion, emotional instability, and alarming instances of suicidal ideation.
• Operating Under Fire: Surgeons describe the critical need for emotional control while performing operations during ballistic missile and KAB (guided bomb) strikes.
• Pharmacological Reliance: Many participants rely on antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sedatives to maintain their daily functionality.

Expert Leadership & Clinical Supervision

The New Start project is guided by recognized international experts to ensure the highest standards of care:

• Dr. John Whelan: A Registered Psychologist and author with over 20 years of experience in trauma and PTSD. Dr. Whelan provides direct clinical supervision for our mental health team and specialized training in trauma-informed care.
• Farid Yaghini: An expert in humanitarian project development and management, who provided intensive training and mentorship to the Mission Ukraine team to ensure operational excellence.

Proven Methodology & Impact

Our curriculum focuses on stabilization and resilience-building using body-oriented practices, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and mindfulness. Results from our pilot phase demonstrate remarkable success:

• Significant Clinical Improvement: On average, participants experienced a 32.5% reduction in Burnout, a 27.6% reduction in Anxiety, and a 27.7% reduction in PTSD symptoms.
• Exceeding Targets: The program achieved a reduction in psychological distress scores that exceeded the initial 42% target.
• High Success Rate: 82% of participants reported a significant improvement in their emotional well-being.
• The Multiplier Effect: While directly supporting 25 medics, the “ripple effect” of these professionals sharing techniques with their teams is estimated to benefit 1,500 indirect beneficiaries.

2026 Vision

Following the success of the previous phase of the project, we aim to scale the New Start programin 2026. Full presentation for the donors is available here: New Start Impact Presentation.

Testimonial Videos

Watch video testimonials from medical professionals who have participated in the New Start program. In these videos, they share their experiences and insights on how the camp helped them regain strength and resilience amid the challenges of war. These firsthand accounts offer an authentic look at the positive impact of our program.