Briefly in English

Niemikoti Foundation briefly in English

History

  • Niemikoti Foundation was founded by the City of Helsinki in 1983
  • Social context: The big change in mental health care structure in Finland. Closing down mental hospitals (20 000 psychiatric hospital beds 1980, now 5200-5500)
  • Niemikoti Foundation was founded in order to offer services to people in out-patient care
  • Sopimusvuori association in Tampere played an important role as an example in Finland

Task

  • Provide social psychiatric and preventive mental health services in Helsinki
  • Enhance the mental, physical and social skills of clients, enabling them to live as independently as possible

Funding:

  • City of Helsinki, clients

Services

  • Housing services
  • Workshops
  • Day Centres
  • Vocational training

Criteria for becoming a client:

  • Mental health problems
  • Residence in Helsinki
  • Adult
  • “Nurse-patient relationship” required
  • Motivation

Portrait of a typical client:

  • Male
  • Over 40 years of age
  • Long term psychiatric patient
  • Schizophrenic
  • Limited social network, lonely
  • Lack everyday skills, needs support and guidance
  • No alcohol or drug abuse, not aggressive

Future challenges:

  • New type of clients
    Clients with double diagnosis and aging clients
  • Funding
    The strict economical situation of the City of Helsinki, the Slot Machine Association’s new policy
  • Personnel
    The estimated shortage of qualified workers in the close future

Personnel:

  • Educational background in social or health care
  • Nurses, practical nurses, social workers, occupational therapists etc.
  • Number of staff: 102/2015