THE NETWORK FOR PREVENTIVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE WORK IN A NUTSHELL Mission: Productive and influential substance abuse prevention Vision: A society where everyone has the opportunity for the best possible everyday life. Includes 56 Finnish social and health care NGO's preventing and decreasing the harm caused by substance abuse. Financed annually by Veikkaus and co-ordinated by EHYT Finnish Association for Substance Abuse Prevention.
Background
The Network for Preventive Substance Abuse Work was created based on the need to increase common dialogue and operational efficiency. It includes nearly 56 social and health care organisations, which want to prevent and decrease the harm caused by substance abuse. This many-voiced group includes non-profit organisations, service providers and patient associations, each of which speak for their own target or customer group in the network.
This cooperation aims to strengthen communication with citizens and persuasive communication, increase the results and effects of the work and facilitate innovative initiatives. Cooperation between the members is facilitated by a four-person team that consists of experts of various fields. Operation is planned and implemented in work groups, chaired by the member organisation. Experts of the facilitation team prepare the work. The chairmen form the network’s management team that monitors and evaluates its operations and outlines communication.
When working together, we foster a committed, bold and flexible operational culture. Networking creates actions that are beneficial to the members and more extensive target groups, such as communication with citizens, representation, co-creation and training.
Strategy 2019 – 2022
Communication with citizens
Fostering the well-being of themselves and their close community motivates people.
Traditional and topical communication campaigns offer segmented target groups information and tools in issues related to substance abuse as well as promotion of health and well-being. The aim of the campaigns is to encourage discussion within the target group and question what their own attitudes and images are based on.
Annual activities:
Dry January
Week for Preventive Substance Abuse Work
City for all -Campaign
Social media campaign #eituomita (don’t judge)
Representation
Legislation and the service system support choices that promote health and well-being and substance abuse prevention.
The network makes the voices of its members stronger, channelling them into a common story. It is a sort of representative of society. Influential drug policy is at the core of the cooperation. The network also works to secure the conditions for substance abuse prevention and to integrate preventive and harm reduction work into the services provided by municipalities and regions.
Annual activities:
Giving opinions on acts
Meeting decision-makers
Influencing elections and opinions
Co-creation
Topical challenges and needs are translated into solutions and cooperation.
In order to be productive, networking should react to changes in the operational environment and meet the needs of its members. Cooperation models and the content of the action are actively developed by searching for new cooperation partners and platforms in various sectors. When people are allowed to try, they are not afraid of failure.
Annual activities:
Substance that changes according to needs
Pilots/projects
Sparring
Training
Social and health care professionals and decision-makers gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the harms caused by substance abuse and of preventive work.
Social and health sector is undergoing a transformation due to reforms and changes in the operational environment. Substance abuse problems have not decreased, they have become more diversified. Professionals of the network’s organisations and employees of municipalities and regions need training and motivation. The network’s training operations support the professionals of customer and development work.
Annual activities:
Substance abuse days
Regional training
Tailored training
Previous international Events
RightToKnow – International Conference on Alcohol Labeling 10.10.2019 with EuroCare and EHYT: web site
Alcohol and Other Drugs in a Changing Society 11.-12.10.2019 with EHYT and NordAN: web site
Contact
Annika Eloranta
Head of Unit
annika.eloranta (at) ehyt.fi
+358504110357
