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Social rehabilitation as a part of the change process - from being a patient and back to citizenship?. WS 086 User involvement for people with disabilities Stockholm July 10th, 2012 Matti Koikkalainen & Stina Sjöblom, Finland. Background.
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Social rehabilitation as a part of the change process - from being a patient and back to citizenship? WS 086 User involvement for people with disabilities Stockholm July 10th, 2012 Matti Koikkalainen & Stina Sjöblom, Finland
Background • Käpylä Rehabilitation Centre was founded 1953 and is owned by the Finnish Association of People with Mobility Disabilities • In the centre we offer specialized rehabilitation services for people who have a spinal cord injury or a brain injury • As social workers we wish to spread knowledge about what we do and why we do what we do
The nature of our work • During an in-patient rehabilitation period newly injured people start to face the realities of living with a spinal cord injury • It’s all about finding ways to manage and take back control over one’s own life situation • In social work our role is to offer support, information and help, in order to re-organize the social situation
Societal context • Finland is a nordic welfare state • Legislation (Constitution, Services for disabled Act) guarantees the right to full participation in most areas of life • In practise, personal assistance, transportation, alterations in the house and alterations of the car are decided on and funded by the local authorities • In case of traffic accidents and work accidents the insurance company is involved as well
How we see the role of social work in rehabilitation • Supporting the individual in and through the different phases of acute rehabilitation • Listening and getting to know the person and what the situation is for him/her • Informing about rights, opportunities and different ways of organizing the services needed • Assisting in finding social services and support • Co-operating with the multi-professional team within the centre and with the local authorities of the person in question
Challenges • The role of a patient and a medical and individual centered idea/concept of disability • Professional jargon and attitudes that support the idea of dependence of care and therapies • In spite of strong legislation, policies and practices that are illeagal or questionnable in light of the Finnish constitution and international human and disability rights • Attitudes, lack of knowledge, underfunding
Our Main Target Groups • The spinal cord injured people that we work with • The multiprofessional rehabilitation team in which we work • The social work professionals and other professionals in the field of rehabilitation whom we co-operate with • Policy makers
Thankyou for yourattention! stina.sjoblom@invalidiliitto.fi matti.koikkalainen@invalidiliitto.fi