SРECIFICS OF SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WORK WITH FAMILIES OF FALLEN DEFENDERS OF UKRAINE

Abstract

Introduction. The full-scale war in Ukraine has led to profound transformations in all spheres of public life, bringing the issues of social protection and psychological support for the population to the forefront. Today, one of the most vulnerable and, at the same time, priority categories for state social policy is the families of servicemen, who gave their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of their homeland. The loss of a loved one under war conditions is an extremely complex psychological trauma that destroys the familiar structure of the family, causes a prolonged crisis of grief, and requires a systemic reformatting of life activities. In this context, traditional approaches to social assistance prove to be insufficient, which necessitates the identification and study of specific forms, methods, and tools of support. Effective social work with family members of fallen defenders of Ukraine must be based on a comprehensive combination of legal, financial, psychological, and socio-cultural assistance, which determines the relevance of researching its features. The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate and analyze the specifics of social and psychological with family members of fallen defenders of Ukraine, as well as to determine ways to optimize their psychosocial support. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the systematization of contemporary challenges faced by social sphere specialists during their interaction with the families of fallen heroes, and in the substantiation of a proactive case management model under conditions of a prolonged martial law. Conclusions. As a result of the study, the complex structure and dynamics of the needs of various subgroups within the families of fallen servicemen (widows/widowers, parents, children) were investigated, which allowed for substantiating the necessity of applying a differentiated approach in the process of their long-term adaptation. It was established that the most effective technology for supporting such families is proactive case management, implemented through a model of interagency cooperation among state institutions, healthcare facilities, and the public sector at the local community level, based on the «single window» principle. At the same time, in the process of analyzing service delivery practices, high risks of secondary traumatization and emotional burnout among social workers themselves were revealed, which highlights the urgent need to implement mandatory supervisory support systems for personnel and to standardize crisis communication protocols.