Student welfare services in vocational education

Communal student welfare supports the entire school community and is the primary form of student welfare. Communal student welfare services are provided by everyone involved in the school: teachers, students, guidance counsellors and student welfare staff, as well as parents and guardians. Youth workers and sports coaches operating in many schools are also an important part of communal student welfare. 

Communal student welfare promotes the learning and wellbeing of the students, as well as good interaction and inclusion in the community. Communal work develops and promotes the health, accessibility and safety of the school environment and the wellbeing of the entire community. It also includes ensuring the ability of the school to operate during difficulties and crisis situations. Communal activities can be directed at all members of the community or targeted at specific groups, such as students at a certain stage of their studies. Students’ everyday life also includes loved ones who are not members of the school community. 

Students’ circles of friends and family outside the school is often a significant contributor to their wellbeing and a resource supporting their ability to study. 

The school social worker strives to increase students’ resources and seek positive solutions by structuring their situations, paying attention to their everyday life, functional capacity and interaction relationships. 

The school social worker examines the student’s life situation, looking at the student’s school attendance, studies, learning environment, financial and housing situation, wellbeing and ability to cope, family and home situation, hobbies and recreational activities. In addition, school social workers’ tasks include consultation, the promotion of wellbeing in the school community and cooperation with teaching staff, students’ families and various stakeholders.

Students can speak with the school social worker about

• questions relating to making ends meet,
• experiences of bullying,
• changes in life,
• changes or conflicts in the family, such as parental divorce, quarrels or substance abuse at home,
• absenteeism or other problems with school attendance,
• friendships and romantic relationships, and
• consideration of sexual or gender identity.

Students have the right to get a personal appointment with either a psychologist or a school social worker within seven school days when they need it and, in urgent matters, on the same or following school day.

You can find the contact information on your school’s website. 

General upper secondary schools, see Contact or Yhteystiedot (page in Finnish)

Vocational College Stadin AO psychologists and student cousellors(Link leads to external service) (page in Finnish)

The task of the school psychologist is to promote the student’s wellbeing and mental health, support studies and prevent problems. The work may include psychological assessment or support in problems related to emotional development, social interaction or studying, as well as consultation, the promotion of wellbeing in the school community and collaboration with teaching staff, families and various stakeholders.

Students can speak with the psychologist about 

• emotional problems, such as stress, nerves, fears, depression, anxiety and fatigue
• difficulties with studying
• reflections on identity
• challenges in interpersonal relationships
• life situation 
• changes and crises 
• suicidal thoughts

Students have the right to get a personal appointment with either a psychologist or a school social worker within seven school days when they need it and, in urgent matters, on the same or following school day. 

You can find the contact information on your school’s website. 

General upper secondary schools, see Contact or Yhteystiedot (page in Finnish)

Vocational College Stadin AO psychologists and student cousellors(Link leads to external service) (page in Finnish)

The duties of a school nurse include monitoring the growth and development of students and monitoring and promoting their study ability, as well as health counselling, contraception and sexual counselling, the promotion of good physical and mental health and the prevention of substance abuse.

School nurses conduct health examinations where they assess the student’s state of health in terms of coping with studies, provide information on the services provided by public healthcare and student welfare and, together with the student, look at the student’s state of health, life situation, lifestyle, social networks and how studies are going as part of the student’s overall wellbeing.

As a rule, students receive medical care services at their local health station

If necessary, you can also see the school nurse without an appointment. Find the contact information on your school’s website. See list of schools and find a school website.

General upper secondary schools, see Contact or Yhteystiedot (page in Finnish)

Vocational College Stadin AO School nurse(Link leads to external service)(page in Finnish)

School physicians work closely with school nurses. In terms of medical care services, mental health problems and problems affecting the ability to study are prioritised. If necessary, the student is referred to a health station.

The preliminary call-up health examinations of persons liable for military service are carried out in schools. Exceptions to the practice are agreed on a case-by-case basis with the parent or guardian, the treating physician, student welfare and a representative of the school.

Students who need a special diet must fill in the appropriate form and deliver it to the school’s kitchen/cafeteria.

Appointments for a physician require a referral from the school nurse. Find the contact information on your school’s website. 

General upper secondary schools, see Contact or Yhteystiedot (page in Finnish)

Vocational College Stadin AO contact information(Link leads to external service) (page in Finnish)

In student welfare, nurses specialised in mental health and substance abuse work act as experts in psychiatric nursing in primary health care, helping with mental health, substance abuse and addiction problems. The work supports students’ mental health, functional capacity, study ability and life management.

Mental health and substance abuse nurses assess students’ need for treatment, provide treatment and guide them to further treatment, if necessary. The work focuses on combating social exclusion and on its early identification and support, prevention and timely treatment.

Appointments with the mental health and substance abuse nurse usually require a referral from the school nurse. Find the contact information on your school’s website.

General upper secondary schools, see Contact or Yhteystiedot (page in Finnish)

Vocational College Stadin AO contact information(Link leads to external service) (page in Finnish)

The task of the multi-disciplinary expert team is to support students and their preconditions for learning.

The team is assembled on a case-by-case basis to support a student when experts in different fields are needed for the early investigation and management of a situation that gives rise to concern. The team is also assembled if cooperation is needed between teaching staff and student welfare services staff.

The multi-disciplinary expert team is assembled with the consent of the student and parents or guardians.

The Aula learner portal serves as a starting page for students’ computers. The portal contains information on, for example, your local student welfare services.

Aula also provides links to the most important services used by the school on a daily basis, such as learning environments. In addition, the portal has quick access to links to the homepage of your school, the city’s library services, the lunch menu and the city’s services for children and young people.

Aula has been developed to support learning and the wellbeing of students.

The Youth Station helps young people aged 13–23 who are struggling with moderate mental health problems or severe substance abuse issues. The Youth Station employs nurses, social instructors, social workers, social therapists, family therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and a physician. The treatment methods include different kinds of individual and group meetings, peer support and medication. The Youth Station works closely with families.

You can get a service referral to the Youth Station from your school’s student welfare staff, the local health station or a Mieppi service unit. If you are struggling with substance abuse issues, you can come to the Youth Station without an appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays 12.00–13.00. 

Read more about Youth Station.

Health stations provide primary healthcare services for Helsinki residents. They are the primary places of treatment of Helsinki residents and, if necessary, they can refer patients for further examinations and treatments.

Each patient is cared for by a team consisting of a physician and a nurse. Physiotherapists and nurses specialising in mental health and substance abuse work also provide services at health stations. Students are referred to a mental health and substance abuse nurse after a nurse or physician has assessed their need for treatment.

FInd your nearest health station in Helsinki.

The low-threshold Mental Health Service Unit Mieppi offers discussion support to promote mental wellbeing. Mieppi serves young people over the age of 13 and adults. There are Mieppi service units in Haaga, Kalasatama and Myllypuro. You can visit any Mieppi unit regardless of where you live. 

Mieppi employs mental health professionals you can talk to either in person or remotely, whichever you prefer. You can contact Mieppi to discuss your life situation or mental health concerns. Mieppi can offer 1–5 discussion sessions or advice and service guidance according to your need. 

You can also contact Mieppi if you are worried about a loved one. Mieppi services are free of charge for you but failing to cancel an appointment you do not show up for is subject to a fine. If you need help quickly, please contact the emergency clinic.

Please note that Mieppi does not provide medical services, so the staff cannot write prescriptions, referrals or sick leave certificates. If you already have a mental health treatment contact, you should contact your current treatment provider.

Find the addresses and contact information of Mieppi units here.  

Specialised medical services, such as examinations and treatment in various specialised areas, are mainly provided in hospitals and their outpatient clinics. Access to specialised medical care is through progressive patient care based on certain criteria and usually requires a referral from a health station or from student welfare.

Ohjaamo One-Stop Guidance Centres provide free assistance in a wide range of life issues, such as studying, employment, housing and wellbeing. They cannot directly grant, for example, housing or income support, but they can provide a lot of information and support for applying for them. 

The services and staff of Ohjaamo One-Stop Guidance Centres vary slightly from one locality to another. However, everyone under the age of 30 is welcome to seek help with any issue; Ohjaamo is always able to help and guide you forward. 

Find Ohjaamo contact information here. (Link leads to external service)

The services needed by families have been centralised in family centres. Family centres promote the health and wellbeing of children, young people and families by providing support for parenting and relationships while taking into account the diversity of families. 

The health and social services provided by family centres include

• maternity and child health clinic services
• family work
• parenting advice and family counselling
• contraception and other sexual health counselling
• psychologist’s services
• oral healthcare
• physiotherapy and nutrition, speech and occupational therapy

At the moment, there are four family centres in Helsinki:

• Itäkatu Family Centre
• Kallio Family Centre
• Kamppi Family Centre
• Vuosaari Family Centre and Health and Well-being Centre

Find the contact information for the Family Centres here. 

You can contact child welfare services yourself if your family is experiencing stress or problems. You can always contact child welfare, also anonymously, if you are concerned about the wellbeing of your own child or any other child or young person living nearby, for example due to

• difficulties in the care and parenting of children/young people
• domestic violence
• substance abuse that complicates family life
• other family crises
• a need for guidance and counselling

The purpose of child welfare is to protect the rights of the child and to support parents and other guardians in the educational task. As a rule, we strive for children and young people to be able to grow and develop in their own home.

A child welfare notification can be submitted by telephone, by post or via the Maisa customer portal. The notification will be processed within seven working days, after which an assessment of the need for child welfare will be carried out within three months if deemed necessary. You can find the contact information for the unit in your area here. In the evenings and at weekends, you can contact the social emergency number,tel. 0206 96006.(Link starts a phone call)

Find your regional child welfare unit and contact information.

Maisa customer portal - Login page(Link leads to external service)

Adult social work provides support for all kinds of life situations. The work is done with individual clients, families and communities. You can seek help from the adult social work team in problems related to, for example, work, housing, family life, managing financial matters and various crisis situations in life.

The social workers and social instructors of adult social work support your ability to cope through joint goal-oriented work, advice and guidance and by granting discretionary and preventive income support. The adult social work team examines new clients’ life situation and considers their need for services and support on that basis.

You can become a client by contacting the adult social work team in your area. There are separate teams for clients under the age of 30 and for clients over the age of 30.

Find the contact information for your local service point here. 

There is a huge amount of information, tools and peer support services available online to support students’ wellbeing. Here are a few examples of resources you can explore. 

Mielenterveystalo (Mental Hub)(Link leads to external service) and Nuorten mielenterveystalo(Link leads to external service) (Youth Mental Hub) offer reliable public healthcare resources for mental wellbeing. The website contains information on various themes and several self-help programmes.  

AddictionLink(Link leads to external service) provides information and support related to substance abuse and addiction. In addition to a comprehensive database, AddictionLink offers questionnaires, self-help content, peer support and an advisory service. The service is intended for substance abusers, gaming addicts, their families and friends and anyone interested in information on addiction.

Nuortennetti (Youth Net)(Link leads to external service) is a website for young people that has also been partially designed by young people. The website contains information about topics such as sexuality and dating, media use, mental health, bullying and substance abuse. Nuortennetti provides support, activities, information and discussions. 

Netari(Link leads to external service) is the largest online youth centre in Finland with a very comprehensive chat calendar listing all available support and peer support chats where you can meet new people and talk about things weighing on your mind. 

For example, MIELI Mental Health Finland(Link leads to external service)’s Sekasin-chat(Link leads to external service) is a nationwide discussion service for 12–29-year-olds that supports mental wellbeing and coping with mental health problems. The service is free, anonymous and confidential with extensive opening hours. You can talk to healthcare and social welfare professionals, on the other hand, in the 

Youth chat(Link leads to external service) Mon–Fri 12.00–15.00. Young people can ask questions about things weighing on their mind, such as personal health, mental health issues, substance abuse or bullying, as well as matters related to work, studies or relationships. In addition, young people can choose to just start a conversation without a specific topic.

Victim Support Finland (Riku)(Link leads to external service) offers support and practical advice to crime victims, their loved ones and witnesses in criminal cases. You can contact RIKU by phone, online or face to face. 

• Youth shelters of the Finnish Red Cross(Link leads to external service) help young people and their loved ones locally 24/7. 
• Poikien talo (Boys’ House)(Link leads to external service) provides support and activities for boys, men and young people wondering about being male aged 10–28. Hämeentie 13 A (3rd floor), 00530 Helsinki.
• Tyttöjen talo (Girls’ House)(Link leads to external service) is intended for all 10–28-year-olds who identify as girls or women or are contemplating their femininity. Hämeentie 13 A (4th floor), 00530 Helsinki.
• Children of the Station(Link leads to external service) supports the healthy growth of children and young people and natural interaction with adults. Established in 1990, Children of the Station is a nationwide organisation that is politically and religiously independent.
• The Vamos Youth Service of the Deaconess Foundation(Link leads to external service) helps young people aged 16–29 who are not involved in education or working life to find their own path in various ways. Kuortaneenkatu 1, 6th floor, 00510 Helsinki.
• Kohtaus ry(Link leads to external service) offers an urban living room for young adults. Kohtaus Malmi (Torikatu 3, 3rd floor, 00700 Helsinki) is intended for 18–35-year-olds and Kohtaus Vallila (Päijänteentie 2, 00550 Helsinki) is for 18–30-year-olds.
• EHYT Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention(Link leads to external service) is a national expert organisation for the prevention of substance abuse and harmful gaming and gambling. In addition to the prevention work related to alcohol, nicotine products and drugs, the organisation also works to combat the harmful effects of gaming and gambling. EHYT also offers free and anonymous substance abuse counselling if you are concerned about your own or a loved one’s substance abuse.

• The Youth Helsinki(Link leads to external service) online publication aims to bring together all the contents of the city’s various divisions for young people in one place.
• Outreach youth work(Link leads to external service) offers support and guidance to young people aged 16–28. Outreach youth work seeks answers to young people’s questions together with them and helps them find the services they need.
• The Helsinki Finnish Adult Education Centre Työväenopisto(Link leads to external service) organises hundreds of lectures, concerts, exhibitions and events for people over the age of 16 every year. Most of the offerings are free of charge.
• Epic Light (Mieletöntä valoa)(Link leads to external service) activities involve creating cooperative media works, such as magazines, video productions, streaming, radio shows and podcasts. The activities are free of charge and intended for young adults (aged 18–35) who are experiencing various challenges in their lives, such as trouble in studies or with finding work or a study place. No previous experience is required; it is enough to have a passion to create something and possibly also ideas that you want to start making reality. We will provide the equipment – you will create in a cheerful crew and an encouraging atmosphere.
• NUOLI meeting and support point for young people(Link leads to external service) fulfils the basic needs of homeless young people in Helsinki.
• Youth centres in Helsinki(Link leads to external service) – The youth centres offer diverse recreational opportunities including theatre, music, physical activities, dance, media, arts, skateboarding, animal care, moped activities and other traffic activities. There are more than 50 youth centres throughout the city at 11 youth work units.
• The PALOMA Centre of Expertise in Refugee Mental Health Work(Link leads to external service) promotes the mental health of people from a refugee background.
• Family houses organise activities for families with young children. Family houses are meeting places and venues for activities and information sharing. They are used to hold courses and groups for parents, children and employees working with families with young children in the area.
• Rainbow youth work(Link leads to external service) offers LGBTQAI+ activities around Helsinki for young people aged 13–29 who belong to sexual or gender minorities or are reflecting on related themes.
• Heroes activities(Link leads to external service) are youth centre and recreational activities aimed at young people aged 15–29 with different disabilities.
• Shelters (Link leads to external service)are intended for all persons or families who have experienced domestic violence or threats of violence. Shelters are home-like environments that provide protection from violence and help to end violence. You can find the locations of the shelters in Southern Finland on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

• MIELI Mental Health Finland’s Crisis Helpline(Link leads to external service) is available 24/7, tel. 09 2525 0111.(Link starts a phone call) You can call the Crisis Helpline, for example, if your life has just changed and you feel down or if you have experienced a distressing event and need to talk to someone. 
• Nollalinja (Zero Tolerance)(Link leads to external service) works against domestic violence and violence against women. The helpline open 24/7, tel. 080 005 005(Link starts a phone call). The website also offers a chat service. 
• The Women’s Line(Link leads to external service) is intended for women and girls of all ages who have experienced violence or threats of violence, respecting their right to self-definition, and for their loved ones, tel. 0800 02400(Link starts a phone call), Mon–Fri 16.00–20.00.
• Crisis emergency services provide acute crisis assistance to Helsinki residents and others in Helsinki in sudden crisis situations, such as the sudden death of a loved one, situations involving violence, serious injury or illness, as well as fires and various accidents, tel. 09 3104 4222(Link starts a phone call).
• You can call the substance abuse counselling of EHYT Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention(Link leads to external service) if you are concerned about your own or your loved one’s abuse of alcohol, drugs or medicines or if you want to talk to a professional in confidence. The counselling also provides discussion support when you are at risk of relapsing, tel. 0800 90045(Link starts a phone call), 24/7.
• You can call The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare helpline for children and young people(Link leads to external service) to discuss all kinds of issues, feelings and occurrences with an adult who has time to listen to you. Talking can make you feel better.  You can contact us anonymously every day of the year on any matter. The helpline for children and young people is open on tel. 116 111(Link starts a phone call), Mon–Fri 14.00–20.00 and Sat–Sun 17.00–20.00.  
• LiikuntaLuuri (Sports Phone)(Link leads to external service) – A telephone service that provides callers with information on guided sports and exercise services and opportunities in Helsinki. The service is manned by the city’s sports instructors and is free of charge. LiikuntaLuuri will answer your calls ontel. 09 310 32623 (Link starts a phone call)Mon–Thu 13.00–15.00.

• FunAction(Link leads to external service) provides low-threshold exercise opportunities for all young people aged 13–17 to bring joy and recreation through various sports, with friends and without competitive goals. FunAction activities are diverse and enjoyable. The classes are organised under the leadership of professional sports instructors or sport-specific coaches of sports clubs.
• City of Helsinki’s Sports Services(Link leads to external service)
• LiikuntaLuuri (Sports Phone)(Link leads to external service) is a telephone service that provides callers with information on guided sports and exercise services and opportunities in Helsinki. The service is manned by the city’s sports instructors and is free of charge. LiikuntaLuuri will answer your calls on tel. 09 310 32623(Link starts a phone call) Mon–Thu 13.00–15.00.
• NYT-liikunta(Link leads to external service) offers varied and relaxed low-threshold sports and exercise activities for 18–29-year-olds all over Helsinki. The activities are inexpensive and offer something for everyone, regardless of their skill level.

You can contact the police if you want to report a crime, submit a tip-off on a crime or get information. 

You can call the emergency number 112 if you need urgent assistance or if life, property or the environment are at risk. The Police website(Link leads to external service)also contains a lot of useful advice on safe behaviour online and on what to do if you encounter bullying or harassment online. 

Anchor work(Link leads to external service) is multi-professional cooperation that supports the wellbeing of children and young people and prevents crime. It also aims to prevent radicalisation to violent extremism. The work is carried out in teams consisting of experts from the police and health, social and youth services.  Anchor work can be helpful in situations where a young person starts committing crimes or using drugs, for example. The activities can also help a young person in a difficult life situation who has experienced, for example, intimate partner violence or domestic violence. You can reach Helsinki Anchor work ontel. 050 440 2113,(Link starts a phone call) 8.00–16.00.