First Line Therapies operating model sped up access to treatment and brought clarity to mental health services
The First Line Therapies operating model has improved the structure of mental health and substance abuse services and access to treatment. Using the model in the development of the service structures of our wellbeing services county has brought clarity and consistency to services while making them more impactful, benefiting people in many ways.
The First Line Therapies operating model is a national RRP-funded project package that aims to improve the availability and effectiveness of mental health and substance abuse services at all levels of the care sector. The model aims to ensure that each social welfare and health care professional has sufficient tools for encountering people with mental health and substance abuse issues – regardless of where they reach out for help.
From fragmentation to a shared structure
Before the introduction of the operating model, the municipalities in our wellbeing services county were offering a mixed bag of mental health and substance abuse services. Treatment practices and assessment methods varied, and there was no consistent structure. Director of Services Juha-Pekka Strömberg describes the situation as follows:
"If we had not joined the First Line Therapies operating model, our transition into the wellbeing services country in 2022 would have meant that there were 10 municipalities, each of them with completely different structures and treatment practices, methods and procedures for assessing the need for treatment."
The operating model allowed us to harmonise the structure of services and have shared tools for assessing the need for treatment. In our wellbeing services county, the model has enabled extensive training packages, such as short-term therapy and assessment tools whose aim has been to increase impactful methods of support and treatment and to harmonise the service package.
Accelerated and clarified access to treatment
The new model guides clients to fill in the therapy navigator(external link) to help them structure their situation and speed up the assessment of the need for treatment. The youth intervention navigator(external link) is intended for young people aged 13 to 19. After filling in the navigator, the client and a professional work together to examine the responses and find the best possible help for the client’s situation quickly.
"The operating model has allowed us to provide early treatment since it offers a common tool for assessing the need for treatment and a shared understanding of how we treat patients at the basic level. In addition, we can measure impact with tools such as symptom surveys", says Strömberg.
In the past, accessing treatment could be slow, and the structure of treatment periods was potentially unclear. The operating model has now been used to create clear treatment paths focused on objectives and impact.
"In the operating model, the client is first guided to fill in the navigator independently, which will in fact already help structure the client’s understanding of their situation – we have received feedback that just filling in the navigator has helped structure people’s thoughts and give them reassurance. The therapy navigator or intervention navigator produces a code that the client will then use to have an appointment with a professional. The need for treatment is assessed together with the client based on the navigator results, which saves a significant amount of time compared to the client not explaining their situation until at the appointment", Strömberg estimates.
The purpose of having different levels in the service chain is that clients with mild symptoms and good functional capacity are treated with light support provided by basic level professionals at the location where the need for services has emerged (e.g. health centre, child health clinic, home care, social services and student welfare). Clients with moderate symptoms have faster access to the treatment they need, and basic short-term cognitive therapy is available to residents in a timely manner. Clients with severe symptoms have access to psychotherapy and specialised medical care without unnecessary waiting.
Child and youth therapy guarantee
The First Line Therapies operating model has also helped prepare for the Child and Youth Therapy Guarantee Act entering into force. The Therapy Guarantee Act entered into force on 1 May 2025 and ensures that children and people under the age of 23 have access to the mental health services covered by the guarantee no later than 28 days after a need for them has been established. The objective of the therapy guarantee is to ensure equal access to psychosocial treatment or short-term psychotherapy that is covered by the guarantee and meets the needs of the client.
As part of the preparations for the Therapy Guarantee Act entering into force, the wellbeing services county has introduced a service chain with different levels, and student welfare services play an important role. The social workers, public health nurses and psychologists of student welfare services offer early-stage support and treatment when the symptoms of a child or young person are mild and their functional capacity is moderate. According to Director of Services Maaret Laine, it is important to strengthen the services that are available where children and young people are.
"When help is available nearby in the child’s and young person’s everyday environment – schools and educational institutions – the availability of the service is at a good level", Laine explains.
Student welfare services are also a route to other services when symptoms are moderate and functional capacity is reduced, such as mental health services for children, family counselling clinic services, mental health and substance abuse services for young people or specialised medical care. Professionals in services for families with children have received training for treatment and support methods that are in line with the Therapy Guarantee, and they work both in student welfare services and in mental health services for children and young people. Personnel training and improving the availability of services is ongoing, and there is still a need for national definitions and clarifications on how to meet the therapy guarantee, especially with regard to social welfare services.
"For example in October, 84% of clients in the services for children and young people in our wellbeing services county received treatment within 28 days in accordance with the therapy guarantee. The aim is to improve the availability of services and to ensure even better access to treatment within the time limit for each child and young person in our wellbeing services county", says Laine.
In our wellbeing services county, clients can reach out in many ways – in addition to accessing services in person, children and young people in need of help and support can contact us through our digital e-service Lunna or by phone, even anonymously. Faster access to treatment reduces the risk of worsening symptoms that would lead to needing more intensive services.
How to contact us
If you are the parent of a child under school age and are worried about your child’s mental health or you need support with challenges related to your child’s mood, you can contact the public health nurse at the child health clinic or the social services helpline for families with children.
If you are a student or the guardian of a schoolchild and you need support for challenges related to the mental health of a child or young person, you can best get started by contacting the student welfare professionals of your school or educational institution.
If you are not covered by student welfare services, you can contact your local health centre or mental health and substance abuse services.
A professional will refer you to the right treatment and support based on your symptoms. If the type of treatment you need is covered by the therapy guarantee, you are required to access treatment within 28 days.
Expanding the model and training personnel
The development of the operating model as part of the First Line Therapies project will come to a close at the end of 2025 and will continue internally in our wellbeing services county. We have reinforced the promotion of development work by establishing permanent posts for four therapy coordinators.
The introduction of the operating model has been promoted in several lines of service in our wellbeing services county: outpatient care, mental health and substance abuse services, student welfare services, mental health services for children, family counselling clinics, services for older people, and social services. Our personnel have received training on the different stages of service paths, which improves regional equality and effectiveness.
These tools have given our professionals the skills and courage to bring up mental health issues and help people who need mental health and substance abuse services.