OMAISET HUUMETYÖN TUKENA RY

(Family Supported Drug Rehabilitation Association)

Omaiset Huumetyön Tukena ry is a politically and religiously independent non-profit organization that develops rehabilitation programs for drug users. The programs are primarily aimed at young people below 30-years of age and their families, and they are suited for both current drug users and ex-users who are in follow-up treatment. The goal is to offer as wide a range of treatments as possible for each target group’s special needs.

Group activities for young people are of central importance in the work of Omaiset Huumetyön Tukena ry. Current drug users have their own group, Elämäntaito group (The Life Skills group or ET-group), where the goal is to awaken their motivation to change and their desire to treat themselves. Youths who are more advanced in their rehabilitation have their own group called Jälkipolku (The After Step Group) where we co-operate with the youths to enact a lasting change in their lives.

Omaiset Huumetyön Tukena ry has developed and defined standards for both methods mentioned above. Elämäntaito group, or The Life Skills group, was developed to fill the need for an assertive community treatment that would allow youths to commit themselves to the treatment and to change the direction of their lives. The ten month long group process strengthens the youths’ social abilities and motivates them to make a change. The core of the group activity is the weekly group session. In addition, there are other group activities, such as leisure activities, work shops, sport events and camps.

The Jälkipolku follow-up treatment is aimed at youths under 30 who no longer use drugs and are leaving a drug rehabilitation center. The program is intended to make a lasting change in the life of former drug users, to integrate them into the society, and to improve their quality of life. The goals of the process are to strengthen the client’s independence, normalize his or her social relationships, teach the client to treat his or her own drug addiction and to recognize the signs of a relapse, and to get the client committed to a drug free life.

In addition to the rehabilitation programs, the organization offers support and guidance to the families and parents of young drug users. The parents have their own peer-group. There is also a support group for people who have lost a loved one because of drugs.

A project dubbed OmaTila (Own Space) has open doors for everyone, no appointment necessary, on Wednesdays between 12.00 and 5.00 pm. The open doors offer a possibility to stop for a while and to be heard, and to get both professional help and peer support. You can participate in the project without committing to it, or to a drug free life. The goal of the OmaTila project is to quickly intervene in any acute problems the client may have, map out the client’s current situation and, if needed, direct the client into a suitable rehabilitation program.

Omaiset Huumetyön Tukena ry offers training for social workers, youth workers and drug rehabilitation workers in municipalities, parishes, and the private sector. The training program is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and it’s intended to the bring the ET-model (Life Skills model), developed by the Omaiset Huumetyön Tukena ry, into the reach of the people who work with drug users daily. The training lasts for two days and it can be tailored to suit the needs of each individual municipality. We have also created a practical ET-handbook.