The Finnish Blue Ribbon

Christian-based welfare work with alcohol and drug abusers has long traditions in Finland, and it has been carried out very extensively. However, earlier there wasn't any proper co-operation between the various organisations of this field. For that reason, in 1984, the Finnish Blue Ribbon - Sininauhaliitto - was made the central association.

Now there are almost 100 member organisations, and they have about 6500 contacts from clients every day (homeless people, those having problems with alcohol or drugs, prisoners serving their sentence and prisoners who have newly been released from prison, gaming addicts, children and families being at social risk). Services are provided through day centres, units of supportive residential accommodation (mainly dwellings or groups of dwellings, constructed with funding by state-subsidised ARAVA housing loan), and treatment and rehabilitation institutions. In addition, group activities, employment projects, camps etc. are provided.

Services are financed mainly through purchased services paid by municipalities or through written financial obligations from the social welfare services of the client's municipality of residence. It is possible to get funding for investments and development projects from the Slot Machine Association of Finland (RAY). One mainstay for some organisations are voluntary donations. Some funding is received from parishes. As the central association the Finnish Blue Cross finances its operation by funding from RAY, through project financing from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Labour, education administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by returns from its own operation, with support of the Church Council and through incidental other receipts.

At the moment, the Finnish Blue Ribbon focuses on four areas of operation. Strengthening the activity of non-governmental organisations is considered to be the first, important dimension. Several member organisations have awaked to see the need of finding new members and new energy to non-governmental and voluntary activity. Also, the new policies of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health see the significance of the social welfare and health organisations in an entirely new way as elements enlivening the whole civil society.

Secondly, emphasis is put on advancement of growing up safely. In practice, this means that the association's development unit for work with children, young people and families co-operates with educators, parents, schools, municipalities and parishes, so that considering and appreciating a child and a youngster and connecting up with them would be part of practical everyday life throughout Finland. Value education and preventive alcohol and drug education shall live at the local level. In several localities, also new working methods have been developed for supporting families that suffer from alcohol and drug related problems.

The third priority concerns development of service forms, associated with treatment and recovery. In this area, in the last few years material and education, designed for recovery groups, have been promoted. Attention has been given to quality work and to development of the treatment programmes and contents of the treatment. The theoretical basis of the Christian social work with alcohol and drug abusers has been strengthened. Special efforts have been made in regard to regionalisation of services. An extensive co-operation project has concentrated on suitability of welfare services for disabled substance abusers. In regard to gaming addicts, the general approach has been turned into particular: the aim is to create a precise connection with special groups. Possibilities of the Christian-based welfare work with intoxicant abusers have been developed in the Prison Service.

The fourth line of activity is development of participation. In European terminology this includes terms like social inclusion, involvement and empowerment. Conversely, the same thing can be expressed as struggle against poverty and social exclusion. Interfacing with everyday life is of great importance: social relationships, for example, through day centre activity; providing accommodation through supportive residential housing, and enhancing employability through various employment projects. In addition to these three conventional fields, there is going to be the fourth one: educational rehabilitation. It doesn't mean yet another vocational course, but joining the all-round educational and ideological studying activity, that is supporting the values and views in one's own life, to these interfaces in the everyday life. In this area, too, we are in the heart of Christian deacony.