The Voimala Project Helps Children, Young People and Their Families

Sara Vataja

In Finland there is still a great need for child welfare. The cooperative entitled Toivo (which means “hope”), operating in Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu and Kotka, has been working for children and young people for more than 10 years. It primarily provides support, rehabilitation and consultation services to 5 to 25-year-olds suffering from psychosocial problems, and to their families. The cooperative also provides non-problem and non-disorder-oriented training, preparation and work supervision services to all kinds of organizations. Furthermore, it carries out various research projects. The funds for its operations are provided by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), from income generated by its services and from fixed-term research projects.

Sara Vataja is a specialist in child psychiatry who has participated in the cooperative’s operations since its establishment, both as an employee and as a Member of the Board. The development project Voimala (“Powerhouse”), introduced in 2000 and funded by Kela, is the cooperative’s rehabilitation experiment directed towards children and young people. Vataja has been coordinating the project since the very beginning. She regards the varied and challenging nature of her work as its best quality.

- In recent years the special services directed towards children and young people (e.g. education for special needs) have clearly played an increasing role. Although it seems that most children and young people are still doing fine, some are facing more and more serious problems. However, it is rewarding when the children and their families get over the difficulties and are able to move on in their lives. On the other hand, the varied and challenging nature of this work is also exhausting because at times you have to use all of your skills and capabilities, says Vataja.

The Voimala project comprises individual, family and group meetings, which, in addition to discussions, may include operational and creative elements. It also comprises consultations, house calls and other kinds of cooperation with the child’s or young person’s network, e.g. the day care centre or school. Cooperation with different institutions is easier in small towns because communication is smoother there. In the Helsinki Metropolitan Area communication is impeded by the abundance of various actors, organizational changes and changes in personnel. These problems are also discussed in the joint network meetings.

The various institutions in charge (social and health care, welfare for intoxicant abusers, school system, youth department) may advise children, young people and their families to contact Voimala. The families can also directly contact its coordinator who, on the basis of a discussion, advises them to acquire the requisite referral. The referral is made by a health centre physician, a school doctor, a psychiatrist or other attending physician. Voimala receives most cooperation requests from comprehensive schools, and the referrals are usually made by school doctors or health centre physicians.

The demand for family rehabilitation services has been increasing steadily since the beginning of the Voimala experiment. In particular, the cooperative has stepped up cooperation with schools, where the problems faced by children and young people come up. Vataja says cooperation with schools has also provided new means and additional competence so that it is easier to be of assistance in problem situations.

At first, the focus is on the objectives and practical methods of rehabilitation, which are discussed with the child or young person and his or her family or network. There are social and health care professionals in the work groups. The Voimala activities are free of charge to the customers, and at the initial consultation visit the family can obtain an application form for rehabilitation services and the requisite appendices to be submitted to Kela.

The cooperative, which was awarded the Alfred Kordelin Foundation’s Encouragement Award in 2006, is undergoing changes, just like the entire social and health care sector. Vataja says the activities of the cooperative consist of continuous development work.

- For me, it is important even now that our services meet the challenges of the time, do not stigmatize the clients and are regarded as useful and empowering by the families, says Vataja, outlining the further development plans of the cooperative.