The unit of intensive assistance

Practice Aim

To provide statutory reception services as housing, social and health services, work and study activities, reception allowance and interpretation. The services are tailored to people with mental disorders and who consequently are in need of more intensive support.

Target Groups

Asylum seekers suffering from mental disorder or coping troubles

Identification of stakeholders that made an identification of the practice

Reception centre professionals of reception centres sustained by the Finnish Red Cross, focus group discussions

Criteria actors or stakeholder are using to assess them as a “good practice”

Offering targeted reception services for a vulnerable group

Name and leading organization (contact details provided)

The Finnish Red Cross

Application setting

The special reception unit of intensive assistance is sustained by the Finnish Red Cross. The unit has space for 20 asylum seekers and it is situated interconnected with Lahti reception centre.

Objectives

To offer more intensive assistance for asylum seekers suffering from mental disorder or coping troubles.

Length

Continuous, for the near future.

Requirements/ accessibility issues

Access to the unit goes through ‘the health team’ of the Finnish Immigration Service, that estimates the referrals sent by the reception centres the asylum seekers are accommodating at that moment. There may be queue to the unit. Person´s stay in the unit depends on the professional´s assessment on persons’ state.

Performance procedures

The unit provides statutory reception services as housing, social and health services, work and study activities, reception allowance and interpretation. The services are tailored to people with mental disorders and who consequently are in need of more intensive support.

Results

More intensive support of some of asylum seekers suffering from mental disorder or coping troubles