23 April 2026
Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University

On April 23, 2026, at a meeting of the University Academic Council, the final report on the research project of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work, Faculty of Psychology, Social Work and Special Education, titled "Socialization of Vulnerable Population Groups in the Context of Territorial Community Development in Ukraine", was officially approved (State Registration Number: 0121U112043; implementation period: June 2021 – June 2026). The research findings were presented by the project leader, Vadym Liutyi, PhD in Pedagogy, Associate Professor of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work.

The scientific study was implemented in three stages:

1. Theoretical and Methodological Stage: focused on synthesizing the analysis of scientific and methodical literature regarding the research problem. It substantiated the factors and mechanisms influencing the socialization of vulnerable populations, the emergence and exacerbation of difficult life circumstances within a territorial community, the conditions facilitating the socialization of vulnerable groups in Ukrainian communities, and innovative social work models aimed at optimizing these socialization processes.
2. Experimental Stage: conducted an empirical study on the conditions for vulnerability prevention, socialization, resocialization, reintegration, and readaptation of vulnerable individuals within territorial communities. It evaluated existing community social work practices and pilot-tested innovative models, forms, and methods developed during the study within the community social services delivery system.
3. Generalization Stage: dedicated to developing a comprehensive concept for the primary and secondary socialization of vulnerable populations within a territorial community. This stage synthesized successfully tested practices for preventing vulnerability and difficult life circumstances, evaluated social services provided to vulnerable groups, and developed and implemented training programs and methodological toolkits for training specialists to apply innovative socialization models in territorial communities.

Key Achievements and Findings of the Research Project:

1. Clarified the core essence of vulnerability and the socialization of vulnerable groups within a community context.
2. Substantiated the factors and mechanisms underlying the socialization process of vulnerable populations, the emergence and escalation of difficult life circumstances, and the prerequisites for successful socialization within Ukrainian territorial communities.
3. Identified socially vulnerable groups that require priority attention under current conditions, alongside promising interventions designed for their socialization and community integration.
4. Investigated the determinants of risky behavior among adolescents in communities that can be addressed via preventative programming; developed a methodology and evaluated the effectiveness of implementing comprehensive prevention programs, namely "Program 15" and "Steps through Life" (Kroky po zhyttiu).
5. Analyzed the factors causing the discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among children and adolescents living with HIV, identified the needs of these children and their families, and drafted a state standard for the social service of accompanying families raising a child living with HIV.
6. Justified the necessity of introducing innovative community-based services aimed at preventing parent-child separation and child institutionalization.
7. Developed and implemented actionable recommendations on overcoming challenges and optimizing the development of family-based care models in Ukraine.
8. Assessed the needs of internally displaced persons (IDP) families with children and evaluated the effectiveness of humanitarian initiatives targeting their social support.
9. Designed a theoretical model for social service provision to families with members with disabilities, analyzed the current social service system for such families in Kyiv, and substantiated the content and implementation frameworks for a comprehensive, specialized social service for the integration and reintegration of these families.

Over the project's lifespan, the research team achieved the following outputs: 107 articles published in peer-reviewed professional journals; 11 articles published in journals indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science international databases; 4 textbooks and study guides published. The project results were presented in 139 reports at international and all-Ukrainian conferences and yielded 8 successfully defended dissertations (PhD/Doctoral theses).

Curriculum Integration and Educational Impact: Based on the research outcomes, the content of several educational components was updated for the Bachelor's (first-cycle) and Master's (second-cycle) higher education programs within Specialization 231 "Social Work" (labeled in the text as I10 Social Work and Counseling): Foundations of Social and Legal Protection; Social and Legal Protection of the Population; Social Work with Vulnerable Populations; Social Work with Families; Social Work with Individuals Experiencing Social Exclusion and Discrimination; Technology for Assessing the Needs of Service Recipients; Social Inclusion; Modern Strategies for Social Service Delivery; Contemporary Models of Social Work with Various Groups of Service Recipients; Methodology of Interdisciplinary Team Performance.