SVO veterans will be taught to help their colleagues adapt to peaceful life

The Center for Retraining Veterans of the Special Military Operation (SVO) of the Synergy University has launched a training program for equal consultants. They will help former military personnel adapt to civilian life. Specialists will work in the offices of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.

The training of peer counselors is aimed at forming professional mentors within the veteran community who will be able to provide psychological, legal and social support to their comrades, the university noted. Veterans will help with adaptation, recovery, professional development and the choice of a further life route.

"Peer consultants have a unique experience that is impossible to get in the audience. They speak the same language as the people who seek help," said Vadim Lobov, President of the Synergy Corporation. He stressed that this increases the effectiveness of the adaptation of former servicemen to civilian life.

The first enrollment for the program will be 1,000 people. The educational program consists of modules, including communication skills, the basics of psychological support, mediation practices, employment support, work with social services and public organizations. The training will take place in flexible formats, allowing you to combine it with service and work.

The concept of peer counselors first appeared as a support mechanism for people facing high-stress situations and difficult life circumstances. The approach has proven effective in social, medical, and rehabilitation practices: peer counselors work in the fields of psychosocial care, family support, addiction prevention, and adaptation of people with disabilities and people facing serious illnesses. Due to their personal experience, such specialists ensure a high level of trust and a stable dialogue within the target communities, which makes the model especially in demand when working with combat veterans, noted in Synergy.

The launch of the peer consultant training program has become a continuation of the systematic work of the Veterans' Retraining Center at Synergy University, the country's largest educational platform for retraining former military personnel in civilian professions. More than 15 thousand veterans of the SVO and their family members enrolled in training on a free basis. More than 800 people have completed professional retraining, and more than 600 more students will graduate this year. By 2027, the number of graduates will amount to 4.7 thousand people.

The Synergy University Veterans' Retraining Center was established in 2023 jointly with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. Former military personnel and their families apply to the regional offices of the foundation, where they are offered to study at Synergy. All levels of education are available to veterans: college, bachelor's degree, master's degree, advanced training programs. They can master public and municipal administration, law, entrepreneurship, engineering, sports management, graphic design, and other fields.

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