Course description and learning objectives
This training, produced by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in collaboration with its partners, helps you strengthen a stigma aware approach and your ability to recognise structural discrimination.
The goals of the training are to:
- Make visible the stigmas and discrimination related to mental health, substance use, and addictions.
- Promote a recovery oriented service approach within social and health services.
- Support employee wellbeing and improve the ethical quality of client facing work.
What you will learn
After completing the training, you will be able to:
- Identify stigmas and manifestations of stigma related to mental health, substance use problems, and addictions.
- Recognise the mechanisms that create and maintain stigma.
- Understand the connection between stigma and the discrimination that follows from it.
- Reflect on your own thoughts and experiences of stigma in your work, workplace community, and society more broadly.
- Apply practices and approaches that promote an equal and non discriminatory service culture.
The training consists of eight parts
- Part 1 provides information about the training content and completion requirements. You can also test your knowledge before starting.
- Part 2 offers foundational information about stigma and discrimination as phenomena, including key concepts and different forms of stigma.
- Part 3 focuses on preventing stigma and discrimination, including the role of shame and its impact on interaction.
- Part 4 addresses ethical stress and employee wellbeing as part of dismantling stigma.
- Part 5 provides information and tools to support interaction, including respectful communication and recognising diversity.
- Part 6 covers clients' and patients' rights, as well as the responsibilities of service organisers and providers.
- Part 7 offers information and tools for developing more equitable services.
- Part 8 includes materials and exercises that help teams or workplace communities reflect on their values and agree on shared practices to reduce ethical strain and prevent stigma.
At the end of the training, you will find a final test if you wish to receive a completion record. The test covers content from Parts 2 and 3. Once the test is passed, a certificate will be sent to your email.
Important information about the course
The online course is available only in Finnish.
Who the training is for
The learning material is designed especially for professionals, supervisors, and students in client facing fields. However, the training—or selected parts of it—is suitable for anyone who wants to learn more about stigma related to mental health, substance use, and addictions, how to dismantle it, and how to promote equality and non discrimination in their work.
What you can expect from us
Our aim is to strengthen competence at the individual, community, and societal levels. We also support the development of content for basic and continuing education.
Fees
This training is free of charge for everyone.
How to register and contact us
Register and log in to THL’s online learning platform before starting your studies. One login gives you access to all THL’s open online courses.
Studying the courses in the Online School on Promoting Mental Health does not require separate enrollment.
Online Schools