The Finnish Association for Mental Health (FAMH) is a public health and civic organisation with a history of more than 115 years as the provider, innovator and inspirer of mental health work. The foundation for all FAMH operations is a perception of mental health as a resource for individuals and society alike. The objective of FAMH’s activities is to help people cope and survive in everyday life. It also aims to shift the focus of mental health work from disorders and problems to mental well-being.
FAMH has 54 local mental health associations that provide a range of services across Finland to promote mental well-being and prevent mental health-related problems.
FAMH publishes the
Mielenterveys (Mental Health) and
Perheterapia (Family Therapy) magazines. FAMH communicates on its activities in a newsletter, which may be subscribed to
online and on
Facebook.
FAMH’s website contains a large number of brochures, guidebooks and reports, which can be downloaded free of charge.
Crisis centres offer help locally
Local crisis centres operate in various locations across Finland. FAMH’s crisis centre network offers help through its
SOS Crisis Centre in Helsinki and
18 local crisis centres. Help and counselling at the crisis centres are provided by crisis workers and voluntary support persons trained in accordance with FAMH’s training model.
National crisis helpline 010 195 202
The
crisis helpline offers immediate telephone counselling to people undergoing a crisis as well as their friends and families. Counselling is provided by crisis workers and trained volunteers.
Tukinet is an online crisis centre that offers help in an acute crisis or with other problems in life. Tukinet offers discussion groups, information services, and the one-on-one Net Tuki service.
SELMA – a self-help programme for a traumatic crisis
SELMA is an online self-help programme for those who have experienced a traumatic event. The eight-week programme includes three telephone conversations with a tutor, who is a crisis worker trained to help the person complete the programme.
Group activities
The Finnish Association for Mental Health and the local associations arrange a wide range of
group activities designed to support mental well-being exercises and entrepreneur groups. These activities support the participants’ own coping processes, prevent social exclusion and offer peer support.
eMental Health offers information on crises, mental health problems and ways of seeking help.
Vahvistamo.fi provides resource-focused information on issues such as emotions and interaction.
The Finnish Central Association for Mental Health
The Finnish Central Association for Mental Health is an independent non-governmental organisation for people suffering or recovering from psychiatric problems, and their friends and families. The association has 190 regional and local associations and more than 22,000 members across Finland.
Information for local and regional associations. The Finnish Central Association for Mental Health is the biggest non-governmental mental health organisation in Europe.
The Association’s funding comes primarily from RAY, Finland’s Slot Machine Association.
Peer support is the guiding principle in the Association’s activities.
National Family Association Promoting Mental Health in Finland
The National Family Association Promoting Mental Health in Finland The National Family Association promoting Mental Health in Finland is a central organisation for regional family associations and a national specialist and supervisory organisation representing the interests of the family members of those who are mentally ill. The purpose of the Association is to support and serve regional member associations in their work in this area. The Association’s influence in political decision-making and in the development of the service system focuses on issues concerning the families of mental health patients. The National Family Association develops family work in cooperation with regional family associations and other organisations working in the mental health sector, as well as taking part in public debate on social issues and maintaining international relationships.
Member associations play a key role in supporting the families of mental health patients. The principal task in the work of associations belonging to the National Family Association is to support the wellbeing of family members of mentally ill persons, to watch over the interests of the family members involved in family work, and to develop family work in the regions. These associations have more than one hundred employees and hundreds of volunteers.
Contact information for member associations.