Organisation

This page describes the organisation of the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division, its service units and the services they include.

On this page

The Executive Director of the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division is Juha Jolkkonen(Link leads to external service). The division’s Deputy Mayor Daniel Sazonov(Link leads to external service) , is the Chair of the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Committee and a member of the City Board.

Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division

The division has four service units and shared services that serve all of them.

1.    Family and Social Services

2.    Health and Substance Abuse Services

3.    Hospital, Rehabilitation and Care Services

4.    Rescue Services

5.    The Division’s Shared Services

The Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division’s organisational chart (pdf)

Service units

Family and Social Services provides health and social services for families with children, school and student health care services and health advice for young people outside education and employment. 

This service unit also provides adult and disability social services, grants income assistance, financial and debt counselling, employment support, rehabilitative work activities and immigrant services.

The Director of Family and Social Services is  Maarit Sulavuori(Link leads to external service).

The service unit includes the following services:

Wellbeing and health of families with children

The wellbeing and health of families with children service is headed by Terhi Pippuri,(Link leads to external service) Director of Family Services.

  • Maternity and child health clinic and home service for families with children
  • School health care
  • Special services for families

Child welfare and family social work

The child welfare and family social work service is headed by  Saila Nummikoski(Link leads to external service), Director of Child Welfare. 

  • Service needs assessment and support for families with children
  • Social work in child welfare outpatient care
  • Child welfare and family social work services
  • Placement social work
  • Children’s home activities
  • Client guidance and supervision in child welfare and family social work

Youth services and adult social work

The Director of Youth Services and Adult Social Work is  Leena Luhtasela(Link leads to external service).

  • Southern adult social work
  • Eastern adult social work
  • Western adult social work
  • Northern adult social work

Disability services

The Director of Disability Services from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 is  Jonna Weckström(Link leads to external service)

Disability Services’s organisational chart (pdf)

  • Social work for people with disabilities
  • Housing services for people with disabilities
  • Work and day activities for people with disabilities
  • Developmental Disability Clinic
  • Purchased services for people with disabilities

Family and Social Services's organisational chart (pdf)

Health and Substance Abuse Services provide outpatient primary health care and adult health advice at health stations, internal medicine outpatient clinics, emergency services and oral health care.

The service unit also provides mental health and substance abuse services for adults and specialist psychiatric services.

The Director of Health and Substance Abuse Services is  Leena Turpeinen(Link leads to external service).

The service unit includes the following services:

Health Stations and the Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic

The service is supervised by Timo Lukkarinen(Link leads to external service), Medical Director of Health Stations.

  • Digital Health Station
  • Central Health Station
  • City Centre Health Station
  • Western Health Station
  • Northern Health Station
  • Northeastern Health Station
  • Eastern Health Station
  • Centralised services
Housing, crisis and substance abuse services

The service is headed by  Mikko Tamminen(Link leads to external service), Director of Housing, Crisis and Substance Abuse Services.

  • Housing assistance
  • Social and crisis emergency services
  • Substance abuse services

Psychiatry

The service is headed by Mia Tuokko(Link leads to external service), Medical Director of Psychiatry.

  • First line services
  • Mood disorder services
  • Psychosis services

Oral health care

The service is headed by Sebastian Kaste(Link leads to external service), Chief Dentist.

  • Local services
  • Centralised services

​​​​​​Organisational chart of health and substance abuse services (pdf)

Hospital, rehabilitation and care services provide home care, social work and guidance for older adults, support for informal carers, service centre activities, day activities, short-term care, and 24-hour service housing and institutional care for older people and people with multiple illnesses.

The service unit also provides short-term and rehabilitative hospital care, physiatry, gerontological, neurological and rehabilitative outpatient clinic services, physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy services, and veterans’ rehabilitation. In addition, the service unit provides therapeutic care and support for rehabilitation at home for those discharged from hospital or an emergency department.

The Director of Hospital, Rehabilitation and Care Services is Pia Nurme(Link leads to external service).

Assessment operations

The service is headed by  Soili Partanen(Link leads to external service), Director of Assessment Operations.

  • Shared services of assessment operations
  • Client guidance
  • Gerontological social work
  • Purchased services and quality management 

Home care

The service is headed by  Helena Venetvaara(Link leads to external service), Director of Home Care Services.

  • Rehabilitative Assessment Unit
  • Southern Home Care Unit
  • Central Home Care Unit
  • Western Home Care Unit
  • South-western Home Care Unit
  • Northern Home Care Unit
  • North-eastern Home Care Unit
  • Eastern Home Care Unit
  • South-eastern Home Care Unit
  • Centralised home care services

Senior centres

The service is headed by  Maritta Haavisto(Link leads to external service), Director of Senior Centres.

  • Kinapori
  • Kivelä
  • Kontula
  • Koskela
  • Kustaankartano
  • Myllypuro
  • Riistavuori
  • Roihuvuori
  • Syystie
  • Töölö

Helsinki Hospital

The service is headed by Medical Director  Laura Pikkarainen(Link leads to external service).

  • Laakso Hospital
  • Malmi Hospital
  • Suursuo Hospital
  • Helsinki At-home Hospital
  • Geriatric Outpatient Clinic
  • Home care doctors
  • Physiotherapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Rehabilitation planning and assistive devices

Organisational chart of hospital, rehabilitation and care services (pdf)

We provide safety and assistance in times of need. We serve the operations, residents, and visitors of Finland’s capital by assessing the city’s accident risks, preventing accidents, and minimising the impact of accidents and emergencies on people, infrastructure, and the environment. We also prepare for various emergencies and incidents and instruct people on how to prepare for them independently. Our services include accident prevention, rescue operations, emergency medical services, civil defence and preparedness.

The Director of the Helsinki City Rescue Department is Rescue Commander  Jani Pitkänen(Link leads to external service).

Rescue operation services

  • Operational services
  • Planning services for rescue operations
  • Emergency medical care planning services

Risk management services

  • Accident prevention
  • Preparedness and civil defence planning
  • Urban environment

Security of supply services

  • Materials
  • Equipment
  • Systems services
  • Properties
  • Facilities team

Helsinki Rescue School

  • Basic vocational degree training
  • Sub-officer training

Organisational chart of the Rescue Department (pdf)

The Division’s Shared Services

The Director of the Division’s Shared Services is  Tiina Mäki(Link leads to external service).

The shared services consist of seven services, headed by the following directors and managers:

Legal, supervisory and general administrative services

The service is headed by Marika Noso(Link leads to external service), Director of Decision-making and Supervision.

  • Legal and decision-making support
  • Information management
  • Quality and supervision support
  • Social and patient ombudsperson services

Financial, strategy and planning services

The service is headed by  Sampo Pajari(Link leads to external service), Director of Finance and Strategy

  • Financial, strategic and operational planning
  • Special financial tasks
  • Client fee decisions and expert support

Human resources and development services

The service is headed by Sara Rautiainen(Link leads to external service), Director of Human Resources and Development.

  • Employer and occupational wellbeing services
  • Staff availability support
  • Strategic development support
  • Competence development

Knowledge and information management services

The service is headed by Petri Otranen(Link leads to external service), Director of Information Management.

  • Development and digitalisation
  • Ongoing services and application support
  • Knowledge management and statistical services

Support, facility and security services

The service is headed by Sari Oikarinen(Link leads to external service), Facility and Support Services Manager.

  • Security and preparedness
  • Transport services
  • Lobby services
  • General administrative support

Procurement and contract services

The service is headed by  Sari Luostarinen(Link leads to external service), Director of Procurement and Contracts.

  • Strategic procurement services
  • Operational procurement services
  • Partnership services
  • Specialist care guidance and contract guidance services

Communication services and participation

The service is headed by  Jaana Juutilainen-Saari(Link leads to external service), Communications and Participation Manager.

  • Service and personnel communications
  • Security and preparedness communications
  • Participation and interaction

In addition to the directors and managers of the services, the Director of Shared Services has two liaison managers who work under them, providing executive support for issues such as advocacy and the change programme.

Liaison Manager  Hanna Laine(Link leads to external service)
Liaison Manager  Sinikka Olmiala(Link leads to external service)

Organisational chart of the Division's Shared Services (pdf)