My Oulu: Pohde’s Hoito syytteen sijaan model aims to decrease the use and harms of substance abuse
According to the HSS operations model, police will direct apprehended substance abusers into medical treatment. Picture: Oulu Police
Jaa sosiaalisessa mediassa:
The Hoito syytteen sijaan (fin. Care instead of criminal charges) operations model has been adopted in the entire Pohde region and training to police officers and drug and alcohol workers were held in 2023. Customer experiences during the pilot period were positive and according to them the model can be seen as an effective course of action to prevent substance abuse.
The Hoito syytteen sijaan operations model’s (HSS model) target group are apprehended first-time substance abusers in North Ostrobothnia. The goal of the operations model is to lower the threshold of seeking treatment and get substance abusers into care early and thus lower the use and harms of substance abuse.
The multidisciplinary cooperation offered by the HSS model gives the police a clear tool to guide people to treatment and also promotes the return of people under threat of marginalization back to society.
Police directs to treatment
Police are obligated to direct first-time substance abuse offenders to treatment. The HSS model makes this possible. The police will explain what the HSS model includes and when the apprehended person agrees to the treatment, the police will deliver the needed information and documents to the Pohde substance abuse services.
The HSS treatment period lasts for a maximum of five months and includes 3–5 meetings. After the period ends, the drug and alcohol worker will send a certificate to the police that includes proof regarding the customer’s commitment to the treatment period and results of drug tests.
No age limit
The operations model has been piloted in early fall of 2022 for people under 29 in Oulu. Now, the age limit is no longer in use and apprehended first-time substance abusers of all ages can receive the treatment. For the present, the customer numbers have been moderate and have mostly taken place in Oulu and nearby regions.
The operations model has been in use in the Rovaniemi region for a long time and young people have been directed to the Pohde region for treatment. The HSS model’s development and fluency of adoption is being coordinated at Pohde right now until June 30 as a part of the Sustainable Growth Programme. The HSS operations model will be a part of Pohde’s permanent services.
The Sustainable Growth Programme is part of Finland’s Sustainable Growth Programme’s continuum that aims to support sustainable growth ecologically, socially and economically. Finland’s Sustainable Growth Programme’s funding comes from the one-time Next Generation EU recovery package.