In this article the authors consider the ways of assistance and help to the participants of special military operation (SMO) and their family members. The technology of assigning a social coordinator to each participant of SMO and their family members is considered. The article analyzes the activity of the social curator, the main functions that the social coordinator performs in relation to the mentees. The main attention is paid to the analysis of the creation and development of the Foundation for Support of Participants of the Special Military Operation “Defenders of the Fatherland” (the Foundation), and also analyzes the experience of the Foundation in providing comprehensive assistance to participants and veterans of the Special Military Operation “Defenders of the Fatherland” and their family members, identifies the key directions and innovative approaches in social work that have developed in connection with the current trends.
Keywords: combat veteran, personalized social support, social coordinator, participant of SMO, Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.
В данной статье авторами рассматриваются способы содействия и оказания помощи участникам специальной военной операции (СВО) и членам их семей. Рассматривается технология закрепления социального координатора за каждым участником СВО и членами их семей. В статье анализируется деятельность социального куратора, основные функции, которые выполняет социальный координатор по отношению к подопечным. Основное внимание обращается на анализ создания и развития Фонда поддержки участников специальной военной операции «Защитники Отечества» (Фонд), а также анализируется опыт Фонда в оказании комплексной помощи участникам и ветеранам СВО и членам их семей, выявляются ключевые направления и инновационные подходы в социальной работе, получившие развитие в связи со сложившимися тенденциями в настоящее время.
Ключевые слова: ветеран боевых действий, персональное социальное сопровождение, социальный координатор, участник СВО, Фонд «Защитники Отечества».
Social work in Russia is going through a period of transformation due to both internal social challenges and global trends in the development of this sphere. Innovative approaches, client-centeredness and interdepartmental interaction are becoming particularly relevant. A vivid example of the realization of modern trends in social work is the activities of the Foundation established to support participants of the SMO and their families.
On April 3, 2023, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the creation of the Foundation to support participants of the special military operation “Defenders of the Fatherland”. On June 1, 2023, branches of the Fund began operating in all 89 regions of the country [1]. In order to coordinate the activities of the Fund, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation prepared Order № 429n dated 28.04.2023 “On Approval of Requirements for Social Coordinators, including requirements for their training and rules of their activities”. The work of the Fund and social coordinators is aimed at building a comprehensive system of targeted and personalized social support for each veteran of a special military operation and each family of a participant or deceased.
In extreme situations, SMO participants are primarily required to mobilize mental resources to cope with the situation, while crisis situations entail the need to rethink life orientations.
A social coordinator [3] is assigned to each of the participants and family members of a deceased participant of the SMO. The social coordinator comprehensively addresses all relevant issues, taking into account the individual needs of the participant and family members of the deceased participant, provides assistance and support in obtaining all the necessary support measures, including medical and social rehabilitation, sanatorium and spa treatment, medication, psychological and psychotherapeutic assistance, assistance in social adaptation and re-socialization, training, retraining and employment, provision of technical rehabilitation equipment, legal assistance, as well as involvement in military-patriotic activities.
The social coordinator interacts with [3]:
— executive authorities of the subjects of the Russian Federation;
— local government bodies;
— state and municipal medical organizations;
— social service organizations;
— territorial bodies of federal executive authorities;
— the interdepartmental commission under the highest official of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation;
— the territorial branch of the Social Fund of Russia;
— the main bureau of medical and social expert assessment for a constituent entity of the Russian Federation;
— non-profit organizations and volunteer organizations.
The Foundation assists in processing documents and obtaining the status of a combat veteran for participants of combat operations. The status of a combat veteran is granted to persons who performed tasks during combat operations on the territories of Ukraine, the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic [5]. For those who performed tasks during the combat operations, the supporting documents include extracts from the orders of the Ministry of Defense, commanders or chiefs of military units. Our social coordinators help participants in the military service to collect the necessary set of documents, including by sending requests to military units [4].
The Foundation pays special attention to disabled combatants who have become disabled as a result of a wound, contusion, injury or disease received in connection with participation in combat operations in SMO [6]. The Fund provides support in the process of establishing disability (changing the reasons for the disability of participants of combat operations). The Fund also provides additional measures of support to disabled combatants, such as: medicines and medical devices (according to a certain list), technical means of rehabilitation, including highly functional prostheses, home (long-term) care, round-the-clock care with accommodation, involvement in the Paralympic movement, cultural and leisure activities [3].
The direction of physical rehabilitation of participants of the SMO, as well as members of their families, is actively developing, which includes holding physical training events in Paralympic sports (in the form of master classes). For advice you can contact specialists of the Russian Paralympic Committee, who will answer questions about the functioning of sports organizations and institutions in the regions, as well as provide assistance in organizing physical rehabilitation through sport.
Persons with disabilities of combat operations are entitled to free social services at home, in semi-stationary and stationary forms of social services [7]. This right allows disabled persons of combat operations to apply to social service centers for the assistance of a social worker or caregiver, for services for social rehabilitation and habilitation, as well as for accommodation in temporary and permanent housing organizations. Special attention should be paid to measures related to rehabilitation and habilitation, which includes family counseling, psychoeducational work with the disabled person's environment, and the creation of an artificial sociotherapeutic environment (inclusion in self-help groups). In the inpatient form of social services, persons disabled in combat operations are provided with comprehensive social rehabilitation: social and domestic, social and environmental, social and psychological, social and pedagogical, psychological assistance to the citizen and his or her family, social and legal assistance and vocational guidance. Within the framework of rehabilitation, it is envisaged to conduct medical examination of the participants of SMO.
In the framework of providing psychological, psychotherapeutic and psychiatric assistance to the participants of the SMO, the routing of psychological/psychiatric assistance has been developed.
The Foundation is also actively proposing amendments to normative legal acts that are directly related to their activities. For example, the Foundation proposes to approve a standard for comprehensive rehabilitation due to military trauma. This will guarantee the provision of all necessary measures regardless of the region of residence and organize interdepartmental interaction between specialists.
The Foundation also helps veterans with disabilities with housing adaptation [2]. Specialists analyze housing conditions, possibilities of their improvement and organize adaptation works. Housing adaptation allows to create comfortable living conditions for people with disabilities.
The Fund provides free legal assistance to the participants of SMO and family members of fallen fighters on issues of social support measures, legal consultations, preparation of legal documents, representation in court, resolution of disputes with the employer, protection of consumer rights. Provision of free legal assistance to participants of SMO and family members of deceased SMO is an important component of state support.
Family members of participants of the armed conflict and families of deceased participants of the armed conflict are in particular need of assistance from the social coordinator. According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, family members of a participant in an armed conflict or of a deceased participant in an armed conflict include: spouse, children under 18 years of age, children over 18 years of age, children over 18 years of age, in case of disability under 18 years of age, children under 23 years of age, full-time students, parents of a participant in an armed conflict who live with him/her and persons who were dependent on the participant in an armed conflict.
In addition to the previously listed support measures, families with children are entitled to such social support measures as: free meals in state educational institutions, admission to state educational institutions (kindergartens, schools, secondary and higher educational institutions) on an unscheduled basis, preferential travel on public transport, payment of the full cost of vouchers to recreation and health improvement organizations for children and youth, compensation for housing and utilities, granting SMO participants and their family members the right to preferential visits to regional and municipal cultural organizations and entertainment events.
One of the most important aspects in the socialization of returned participants of SMO is assistance in employment and retraining. Employers, regardless of their organizational and legal forms, provide subsidies for the creation (modernization) of specialized jobs, temporary employment, as well as employment at enterprises and organizations obliged to create or allocate jobs for the employment of disabled persons within the quota established by law. Social support measures in the area of employment include the organization of vocational training and additional vocational training for family members and assistance in finding work.
The Foundation's active use of digital technologies for SMO participants and their family members significantly reduces the time spent by SMO participants/family members in the organization and also complies with the principles and standards of client-centeredness in the provision of state and municipal services.
The Foundation's activities are an important step in the development of social work in Russia. The Foundation demonstrates its commitment to modern trends, offering its beneficiaries not only material assistance, but also comprehensive support based on an individualized approach, interagency cooperation and active involvement of civil society. The successful experience of the Fund can be used to modernize the social protection system as a whole, increasing its efficiency and accessibility for all those in need. Further development and scaling up of such initiatives will make social work in Russia more modern, efficient and focused on achieving real results.
References
1. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 04/03/2023 No. 232 «On the Establishment of the State Fund for Support of Participants in the Special Military Operation Defenders of the Fatherland» [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.pravo.gov.ru (date of reference: 02/15/2025).
2. Federal Law No. 5-FZ dated 12.01.1995 «On Veterans» [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.pravo.gov.ru (date of request: 02.10.2025).
3. Order of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation dated 04/28/2023 No. 429n «On Approval of Requirements for Social coordinators, including requirements for their training and rules of their activities» [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.pravo.gov.ru (date of reference: 01/28/2025).
4. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 05/06/2023 No. 1168-r «Charter of the State Fund for Support of Participants in the Special Military Operation Defenders of the Fatherland» [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.pravo.gov.ru (date of access: 02/19/2025).
5. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 12/19/2003 No. 763 «On the certificate of a combat veteran» [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.pravo.gov.ru (date of application: 02/28/2025).
6. Order of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation dated 02/16/2023 No. 90n «On approval of the procedure for determining the causes of disability» [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.pravo.gov.ru (date of application: 02/28/2025).
7. Federal Law No. 442-FZ dated 12/28/2013 «On the Basics of Social Services for Citizens in the Russian Federation» [Electronic resource] // Access mode: http://www.pravo.gov.ru (date of access: 02/19/2025).
