The National Family Association promoting Mental Health in Finland
The purpose of the National Family Association promoting Mental Health in Finland is to support family associations and groups in their activities and to supervise the interests of the family members on a national scale.
The National Family Association develops family work in cooperation with other organisations that work in the mental health sector. The National Family Association takes part in social conversation and maintains international relationships.
The National Family Association promoting Mental Health in Finland was founded in 1991.
The family members of mental health patients need support
When a family member gets mentally ill, the lives of his relatives are changed in many ways. The relatives go through many emotional stages: fear, sorrow, guilt, stigmatisation and anguish. The everyday responsibilities within the family have to be allocated again. The mental illness may also make it harder for the relatives to work and thus cause economic problems. In this situation the relatives need support to carry on through the difficult situation and advice on how to solve everyday problems caused by the situation. They also need knowledge about mental illnesses and information on how to care for those who suffer from them.
The tasks of the National Association
- supervising of interests
- nation-wide work on public opinion and distribution of information
- coordinating the activities of the family associations and creating contacts between the member associations.
- creating contacts between the member associations
- publishing Labyrintti, the membership bulletin
- cooperation with other mental health organizations
- international activities
Regional activities
The regional associations function as a meeting place for the families and relatives. To meet others who have had similar, often difficult, experiences in connection with mental disorders has proved to be an important channel when providing support. The associations also have a significant mission in that they collaborate with the towns and municipalities and function as a means to influence these.
The member associations organize for example
- project activity
- study, discussion and support groups
- courses on rehabilitation and adjusting
- recreational activities and hobby events
- subsidized apartments and work
- seminars and public occasions
- education, information and publication
- research activity
Improving the well-being of care-givers- project
The National Family Association coordinates a nationwide development project for improving the well-being of care-givers during 2005-2009. The aim of the project is to produce a specific framework for how to support and create special activities for the care-givers. This framework will be used in the regional associations.
The project
- gathers good practises developed in the regional associations
- utilises the expertise of the care-givers and their experiences
- applies scientific research in this field of expertise
The result of the project will be a handbook and an education programme. With the aid of these the central organisation will educate the staff of regional associations, peer instructors as well as experts and students within social- and health care in questions concerning the well-being of family care-givers.
International activities
The National Family Association promoting Mental Health in Finland is a member of:
NFN - Nordiska föreningen för närstående till människor med psykiska problem, Sweden
EUFAMI - the European Federation of Associations of People with Mental Illness, Belgium
WSF - World Schizophrenia Fellowship, Canada
Contact us:
The National Family Association promoting Mental Health in Finland
Address: Meritullinkatu 4 B 10, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
Tel: +358 (0)9 - 726 1185
E-mail: keskusliitto[at]omaisten.org
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