Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry

 

 

Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry                                                    

Kalevankatu 28 A 8

00100 Helsinki

Finland

Phone +358968505055

Contact: Kai Laitinen

e-mail: kai.laitinen@ehja.fi

Website: www.ehja.fi

 

 

 

 

AIMS

 

The Federation of Special Welfare Organisations (EHJÄ ry) is a national child protection organisation that was founded in 1983. EHJÄ has six member organisations that all work within child protection. The work in EHJÄ is emphasized on aftercare and support person activities in child protection and supported housing services for young immigrants. The aim of the organisation is to create new functional models for the use of child protection in co-operation with municipalities and member organisations. We aim to improve the situation of the young people in child protection aftercare. In our work we emphasize the improvement of contents in aftercare to better meet the individual needs of the youngsters.

 

METHODOLOGY

 

EHJÄ ry organises support activities for the Finnish young people in aftercare who are living or moving in to the capital region or in the region of the Southwest Finland.  Our organisation makes agreements with municipalities to implement tailor-made aftercare services for individuals. Also, when needed, the agreements are made concerning young people who do not have a legal right for the aftercare.

 

We organise supported housing services for young immigrants in order to advance their integration into Finnish society and to support their independent survival skills that are needed in every day life. The support includes for instance support for school, taking care of official matters, finding a job and psychosocial support. There is also a possibility for the clients to reach help daily by phone and to participate to camps and journeys.

 

We educate voluntary support persons and support families for the needs of child protection. Support person service of the child protection is a service organised by an organisation or social service unit of a municipality for the children in need of support. Children and young people whom the support is targeted to are clients of child protection. A support person is an ordinary, trustworthy adult, whose own life is in balance. A support person is an important model for a child, and he/she acts as a listener and as a safe adult with whom the child can go to hobbies and spend free time. EHJÄ ry also has a special project that aims to improve the support person services nationwide. The project lasts for three years and is targeted to support persons and municipalities and their social service units.

 

We also provide work counselling services to people who work with child protection and immigration services.

 

TARGET GROUP

 

The supported housing service is targeted to 17-22 years old young people who have got an immigrant background and Finnish young people in aftercare.

 

Support persons are educated for the needs of the clients of child protection.

 

The website of the organisation: www.ehja.fi