05.11.2024
North Ostrobothnia Organisational Award for the House of Good Mind
The House of Good Mind will receive the 2024 North Ostrobothnia Organisational Act Award for its Prospect training programme. This year’s theme was ‘Broader than Whole – Cross-Border Cooperation’. The selection emphasised the crossing of borders and effectiveness, as well as the role of volunteering in the association's activities. The award-winning association receives 1,000 euros to support its operations.
The House of Good Mind as a local association operator in Oulu has participated in a larger, cross-border cooperation that supports the well-being of mental health rehabilitees and relatives in Europe. The Prospect training programmes have been developed in cooperation with EUFAMI. The implementation of the training programmes in the House of Good Mind has started in 2004 and the updated training programmes have been introduced in 2024.
The Prospect training programmes support the mental well-being and recovery of mental health rehabilitees and their loved ones, as well as the realisation of human rights, inclusion and influencing opportunities. The programme includes training for people with experience of mental health disorders, relatives and family members of mental health rehabilitees, as well as social and health care professionals who meet mental health rehabilitees and their loved ones in their work. In addition, the Cross-Border Common Base training brings together the participants of the above-mentioned groups in the same training to reflect on and develop communication and cooperation between mental health rehabilitees, relatives and professionals. The trainings are supervised by volunteer peer instructors.
The activities are based on the contribution of volunteers to the development and implementation. Volunteers have been involved in the development work carried out through the Prospect training network, as participants in and assessors of the test trainings, in the training of Prospect peer supervisors and as peer supervisors of the trainings carried out in the House of Good Mind. Interventions by experience experts and consultation assistance to develop the operating practices of mental health work have been included in the trainings of professionals and the Common Base. In the House of Good Mind, volunteers work in training tasks, as peer group supervisors, and in communication and event organisation tasks. In 2023, 160 volunteers were involved.
On Monday, 5 November 2024, Päivi Isojärvi, Coordinator of Education Activities, and Ville-Veikko Kovanen, Peer-to-Peer Director of Prospect, received the award at the Regional Parliament of Northern Ostrobothnia. The prize was awarded for the sixth time, and it was presented by Jussi Ylitalo, Chairman of the Regional Council of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, and Esa Aunola, Chairman of the Advisory Board for Organisations.
In September, the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia requested proposals for the Organisational Act of the Year 2024 for Northern Ostrobothnia. A total of 28 proposals were received, of which the Regional Government of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia selected the winner at its meeting on 14 October 2024.
Additional information:
Päivi Isojärvi, Coordinator of Educational Activities, paivi.isojarvi@hyvanmielentalo.fi, tel. +358 (0)41 4667683
Solja Peltovuori, Executive Director, solja.peltovuori@hyvanmielentalo.fi, tel. +358 (0)41 4667 682
www.hyvanmielentalo.fi
