Since 1991, reducing large-scale, closed institutions for people with disabilities or mental health conditions has been one of SOFT tulip’s core missions. Rather than placing people in segregated facilities, we believe that care should be provided as close to home as possible, within the community. We refer to this approach as community-based care.

Our work focuses on:

• raising awareness, 
• delivering training, 
• providing policy advice, and 
• developing cooperation agreements (MoUs) with regional and national authorities.

We place a strong emphasis on the conditions needed for sustainable change: inclusion starts with an inclusive mindset. This means recognising that everyone matters and working together to build a society in which all people can participate.

Equally essential are local leadership and ownership—communities themselves must be in the lead. And last, but not least, families are not bystanders but co-designers of the care system. This approach ensures care that is meaningful, accessible, and rooted from within the community.

Regional focus

Our regional focus is in Zakarpattia, where SOFT tulip has been coordinating an active and widely supported program for many years. This region serves as both a pilot site: a place where we have built sustainable collaboration with local authorities, healthcare professionals, parents, healthcare organizations, and NGOs/civil society organizations. Here, we put into practice our vision for deinstitutionalization, early intervention, and mental health, co-creating solutions with local partners while taking into account the regional context and national developments.

Scaling model

We are working to scale our model to other regions in Ukraine using a peer-to-peer approach. Professionals from Zakarpattia are our “change agents” sharing their experience with colleagues across the country. This method encourages mutual exchange, strengthens ownership, and ensures that innovation grows from within.

Collaboration with networks

SOFT tulip continues its work in other regions of Eastern Europe, closely collaborating with international networks such as ISSA, EASPD, and CPOE. Through joint projects with international partners, we contribute to structural change at the national level. This approach combines regionally tailored solutions with strategic impact at the national and European levels, helping to embed sustainable change within national systems and legislation.

To read more about international networks we are part of go to our Participants & Partners page.