Description
Currently mental health service provision in Estonia is fragmented and poorly integrated with relevant sectors. There are few child psychiatrists and low child psychiatry service provision in the Ida-Viru region. The aim of the project is to provide more effective and accessible assistance in the field of child psychiatry to children and youngsters with mental problems, and to their parents and carers as well as specialists dealing with children through establishing the Ida-Virumaa Mental Health Centre for Children and Youngsters. The project will include promotion of mental health services; provision of training for members of the network (including specialists from social and education sector) and hospital personnel; improving network and prevention activity and introducing project activities. The main target group is children and families, but also specialists working with children with mental health problems will benefit from the project activities. A Donor partner will be included during the project implementation and their involvement will be based on giving expertise and offering supervision for staff working in the centre.
Summary of project results
It has been decades since the provision of psychiatric care for children and youngsters in Ida-Viru County was available. In Ida-Viru County the most serious problems in terms of mental health are currently related to the existence of specialists with relevant training and regional availability of service. The health system is fragmented and different sectors (health, social and education system) are not integrated. Therefore the project aimed at ensuring better availability of various counselling and therapy services and their compliance with the family’s needs as well as improving networking between different fields and knowledge of the specialists working with children with mental health problems in Ida-Viru county. As a result of the project the unequal situation of children and youngsters in Ida-Viru County in receiving mental health services was improved. The trainings organised under the project helped to harmonise and develop new principles for treatment and networking for supporting families and children in the region. New mental health centre and counselling cabinet were opened where team consists of mental health nurses, psychologists, social workers and consultant doctor. All specialists got knowledge and skills about how to work with children and families in treating mental health problems. Besides trainings study visits were held to Norway, UK, Finland and Lithuania for visiting similar mental health services and getting more information about how these services are functioning. Moreover several articles and information booklets were published for raising awareness about the established service and children mental health problems in general. In total 1135 children got needful services through the project period. Moreover a guideline was developed which describes the working model of the mental health cabinets. The guideline gives clear instructions for developing similar service in other counties/local municipalities as well. After the completion of the project, established teams in counties will continue their work at the local hospitals and provided services will be funded by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund. The project had a huge impact on the availability of mental health care for children and youngsters in North East area in Estonia and the situation in the region has improved enormously.
Summary of bilateral results