Steering and development of the service system
The specialised services for substance abusers include
- A-Clinics and youth stations providing outpatient care
- inpatient sobering-up treatment, detoxification and rehabilitation services
- housing services
- needle exchange services for drug abusers
- day centre-type services for daily life support.
Substance abuse problems and illnesses are often also treated in health care centres, social services and specialised medical care.
The development of substance abuse services follows the development of other social welfare and health care services. Governmental steering methods include regulatory steering, resource management and guidance by information.
Statutory guidance for substance abuse treatment services
The most important acts in statutory guidance are the Act on Welfare for Substance Abusers, the Social Welfare Act and the Health Care Act. In addition, other legislation contains provisions on the treatment of persons with substance abuse problems.
Resource management of substance abuse treatment services
In addition to general central government transfers to local government, resource management also includes allocated development funding. One example of this is the separate funding granted by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (MSAH) for developing services for substance-abusing pregnant women and families with babies.
In turn, developing the prevention of harm caused by gambling and related treatment is an example of the task of the MSAH under the Lotteries Act. The Ministry collects the costs of the task from Veikkaus. THL has a national responsibility in preventing harm caused by gambling and developing related treatment.
Harm caused by gambling (STM)
Gambling study, monitoring, development of prevention and treatment (THL)
Guidance by information in substance abuse treatment services
Guidance by information involves influencing the development of services through the production of information, provision of information and communications.
The National Mental Health Strategy 2030 of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is a tool for strategic management by central government. The National Mental Health Strategy 2030 will also guide the development of substance abuse services.
The Action Plan on Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs and Gambling Prevention 2025 guides the development of substance abuse prevention work. Other tools for guidance by information include the Current Care Guidelines by the Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, which include recommendations on the treatment of alcohol-related and drug-related problems as well as a recommendation on the prevention and treatment of dependence on tobacco and nicotine.
Mental health policies until 2030
Action Plan on Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs and Gambling Prevention 2025
Current Care Guidelines, Addiction medicine
In recent years, the development of substance abuse services has put emphasis on developing the assessment of the substance abuse services as part of the development of the regional assessment of the entire social and health care services, and register and information systems. The development of opioid substitution treatment and related monitoring has continued as a separate entity. The opioid substitution treatment project developed working approaches strengthening social inclusion.
Regional assessment of social welfare and health care services (THL)
Information management in the social welfare and health care sector (THL)
