Rehabilitation model for young adults –

recovering from mental illness

The Finnish Central Association for Mental Health

A support and advocacy organisation 170 local chapters with 21 000 members The members: people recovering from

mental problems, their relatives and friends, professionals, volunteers

The Association is the largest of its kind in Europe

Peer support is the clue to recovery

The Finnish Central Association for Mental

Health provides

• Dozens of rehabilitation courses annually• Rehabilitation councelling services at the

Propelli information and guidance centres• Supported education and training• Supported housing• Legal and social advice• Developing projects • Training (e.g. peer councellors)

The backround of the rehabilitation model

The role of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland – initiative to create new models of

rehabilitation to the age group 18-25 y.– funds 9 different projects and makes

research of them– the aim is to create good, local practices

and fund them in the future

The main practical ideas of the model

• To combine different methods of rehabilitation: courses, group meetings, individual counselling and case management, group for the family members

• The aim of the work with the clients is towards to study and work

• To make co-operation with psychiatric policlinics of Helsinki and with the Family Associations Promoting Mental Health

The main theoretical

ideas of the model

The non-competing relation between expert-knowledge and lay-knowledge

Trio method: to connect the expertise of professionals functionally to the expertise of clients and aspects of peer-support

Counsellors awareness of ideological elements (e.g. hermeneutic – strategic approach)

The structure of the model

Clients´age-range 18-25 y. Non-dg-spesific Duration of the rehabilitation one year Intensity: ~ 2 one week courses, 18 counselling

meetings, 4 group meetings Clients directed from psychiatric

policlinics, co-operative meetings during the year

The team of the project

In rehabilitation courses: two professional counsellors and one peer counsellor

Professions of the team: sosionom, occupational therapist, sosial psychologist

Individual counselling: 6 clients per counsellor

the team has work-counselling, consultations, team sessions, research interviews

The rehabilitation course

Starts and ends the year-lasting rehabilitation plan

Duration one week, 6 hours per day Lessons, small group discussions,

functional exercises From patient role to the role of young citizen An opportunity to take true charge of their

own recovery

Individual counselling & case management

Reflective discussions concerning lifesituation (needs, interests, aims) and personal meanings given to rehabilitation and recovery

Practical solutions concerning studies, work,housing, economy etc.

Resource-orientated exercises

The group for the family members

Arranged by the Family Association Promoting Mental Health (Nylands förening)

6 psychoeducational meetings during two months, approx.8-10 parents

Themes: family coping with mental illness, cognition in psychosis and depression, recognising the pressure and acknowledging stress, active coping skills

The co-operation with psychiatric policlinics

5 policlinics in the city of Helsinki The slow beginning of the co-operation Presentations of this model Constant announcement with contact

persons The meetings with the client and the

nurse at the policlinic in the beginning and in the end of the rehabilitation

The future of the model

Seek for the resources from the Social Insurance Intitutution for the model: continual and expanded

The key facts are reagionals contacts with policlinics, focus on the selection of clients and the respect of clients own choice

To arrange follow-up –meetings

Professional concepts, methods, theoriesEXPERT KNOWLEDGE

Peersupport, understanding,

LAY-/EXPERIENCE-

KNOWLEDGE

  

 Illnesslosses,reasoningguilt/shame”otherness”

Ideal”good life”ordinarity

The significant components inrehabilitative process

ESTIMATION SHARING OF (EXPERIENCES, PERSONAL FEELINGS)SITUATION

Clients experiences andinterpretations concerning psych. illness,lifesituation, rehabilitation 

READINESS

CHANGE

KuntoutussäätiöRehabilitation FoundationOuti Hietala-Paalasmaa

Finnish Central Association for Mental

Health TIINA JOHANSSON

Head of Department Rehabilitation

tiina.johansson@mtkl.fi

Tel.+358 40 704 2538