In the Hehku service, we support young people's mental health, help them cope with everyday life, and strengthen their family relationships. We support the whole family.
Who is the service for, and how can I access it?
The Hehku service is intended for young people aged 13–17 and their families when the young person needs support from both adolescent psychiatry and social services at the same time.
The service is suitable for situations where a young person in need of a great deal of support would benefit from close cooperation between different health and social service providers.
Your family may be eligible for this service if:
- the young person is a client of adolescent psychiatry services, and
- the young person is a client of family social work or child welfare services.
The young person’s designated social worker will apply for the service. We will start working with the young person if we deem the service to be suitable for the young person and their family.
How is the work carried out?
The Hehku service combines adolescent psychiatric care, family social work, and enhanced family work provided by child welfare services.
The Hehku team consists of:
- nurses
- a psychologist
- social instructors.
We will assign a pair of designated workers from health and social services to your family. We will plan the work with your family and proceed according to your needs. We will review the objectives we have set together as the work progresses.
We will focus on assessing and treating emotional and behavioural disorders in cases where they impair the young person’s ability to function. Additionally, we will support the young person and their parents in their everyday lives, strengthening the parents’ parenting skills and improving the wellbeing of the whole family.
The work is intensive and will continue for about half a year. The work involves:
- meetings with the young person alone
- meetings with the parents
- meetings with the whole family.
We will also cooperate with other parties in the young person’s network, such as their school.
