KEPA Uusimaa newsletter 1/2021 October: “A controlled and practical transition”

The project steering group includes representatives from the wellbeing services counties of Uusimaa, the City of Helsinki, HUS, Eteva and Kårkulla joint municipal authorities and the joint Disability Council of Uusimaa.  The first meeting was held on 21 October 2021. Markus Paananen, Director of Health Services at the City of Espoo, was elected Chair Of The Steering Group, and Katja Raita, Director of Services for the Disabled at the City of Helsinki, was elected as Vice-chair. The steering group discussed and specified, among other things, the objectives and tasks for the project. The objectives are as follows:

• to ensure the continuity of social and health services for people with intellectual disabilities
• to arrange and organise services for people with intellectual disabilities according to the amendments to the legislation 
• to ensure the availability of equivalent services for people with intellectual disabilities in Uusimaa 
• to ensure sufficient expertise and conditions to improve competence. 

In order to achieve the objectives, six project groups are working on the following key themes: centralised intellectual disability clinic, basic social welfare services, implementation of care steps, competence development, psychiatric services for intellectual disabilities and special services for persons with intellectual disabilities, and services in Swedish.  The project groups include managers and personnel from the social and health care services and representatives from organisations and associations for people with intellectual disabilities. We will regularly report on the progress of the project groups’ work in the newsletters.

• The project plan is being updated.
• The stakeholder work has begun. 
• In October/November, when the wellbeing services counties begin their activities, we will map the options for organising psychiatric services for intellectual disabilities, the special care group’s tasks, and involuntary and forensic psychiatry care. 
• The project groups begin their work during October and November, with the special services for people with intellectual disabilities group leading the way.

We will be happy to come and tell about the project to municipalities, disability councils and organisations, associations and other stakeholders. As the project progresses, workshops will be organised, and comments on operational and organisational proposals will be requested before making decisions. Our ‘project office’ has received reinforcements. Sanna Huhtakallio, Project Manager for the Disabled at the City of Helsinki, will manage and coordinate the project in Helsinki. Welcome aboard, Sanna!

Kind regards,

Kati Sihvonen, Project Manager
Tel.:+358 40 6369258
email: kati.sihvonen@espoo.fi                

Tiina Hannikainen, Project Specialist
Tel.: +358 40 5059727
email: tiina.hannikainen@espoo.fi

The SOTE reform will significantly change the services for people with intellectual disabilities. The existing districts for the special care of people with intellectual disabilities will be abolished. The services for people with intellectual disabilities will be reorganised in 2022–2023.  The project for the organisation of social and health services for people with intellectual disabilities will be implemented between 1 August 2021 and 31 December 2022. Representatives from the wellbeing services counties of Uusimaa, the City of Helsinki, HUS, Eteva and Kårkulla joint municipal authorities and the joint Disability Council of Uusimaa have been appointed in the project steering group. The steering group is chaired by Markus Paananen, Director of Health Services at the City of Espoo.