Rehabilitation model for young adults – recovering from mental illness

Finland

Finnish Central Association for Mental Health

Ratakatu 9, 00120 Helsinki, Finland Phone: (+358) 40 704 2538 Fax: (+358) 9 5657 7333 Email: tiina.johansson@mtkl.fi http://www.mtkl.fi

NGO

Finnish Central Association for Mental Health is an association for people suffering and recovering from psychiatric problems. It stresses the right to a full, dignified life for everyone. Finnish Central Association for Mental Health consists of some 190 local, regional and national mental health associations from all over the country. The members of these associations are people with personal experience from mental problems and various mental illnesses. The membership also includes patients' relatives, psychiatric nursing staff and other volunteers willing to contribute to mental health work.
Association has developed a rehabilitation model for young adults recovering from mental illness. The main practical ideas of the model are:
• 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 combining of different methods of rehabilitation.

We have arranged three courses in Helsinki and have had 36 young people attending the courses. Of these 34 have reached the aims their stated in the beginning. The two that failed to reach their aims had some other cause for it, e.g. illness etc.

There has been interest and the method is considered as working well, not only according to the young that have participated but also professionals.

The method could be exploited more and there is will for it. But the cause for not being exploited more is said to be the price, even though the price is actually not as high as in many other methods.

mental illness, rehabilitation