Sosiaalipalvelut Helsingissä
Social services in Helsinki
The Info Bank nationwide Social Services page contains information about social services in Finland.
The Info Bank Helsinki Metropolitan Area Social Services page contains information on social services in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
Adult social work
The Info Bank Social Welfare Office (Sosiaalipalvelutoimisto) page explains the issues which are the responsibility of municipal social welfare offices in Finland (in Helsinki social welfare offices are called social service centres).
The Helsinki Social Services Department bulletin on the bases for granting income support is available in the following languages : Finnish , Swedish , English , Russian , Estonian , French , Serbo-Croat , Somali , Albanian , Dari , Tamil and Kurdish .
Social service centres in Finnish.
Swedish-language services in Swedish.
Ask the Social Adviser (an S-Info service)
S-Info offers free guidance on City of Helsinki social services, as well as social services provided by organisations and private bodies.
No appointment is necessary. The discussions are confidential, and advice may be obtained anonymously.
S-Info
Toinen linja 4A
00530 Helsinki
Tel. (09) 310 44000
E-mail: sosiaalineuvonta(at)hel.fi
Open weekdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Further information on S-Info in Finnish and Swedish.
During office hours (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) services are principally available from the local social service centre. Contact details in Finnish.
More information on emergency social welfare services can be obtained from the website of the Social Services Department in Finnish , Swedish and English .
Crisis Emergency Services (kriisipäivystys)
If you are in need of immediate emotional support because of a crisis situation, you can contact crisis emergency services. The employees of the service will provide emotional support via the telephone. They will also come to your home or to the scene of the accident if necessary.
You can contact crisis emergency services tel. 09 3104 4222 around the clock. Information on crisis emergency services in Finnish
Treatment for substance abuse
Help relating to treatment of substance abuse, rehabilition and prevention is obtained from the Social Services Department. Read more on the website of the Social Services Department in Finnish.
Refugees and asylum-seekers
The reception of refugees and asylum seekers is the responsibility of the Social Services Department’s Immigrant Services Unit.
The Immigrant Services Unit organises social services in support of the integration of refugees residing permanently in Helsinki. Immigrant Services customers may also apply for income support from the unit.
Immigrant Services Unit (Maahanmuuttoyksikkö)
Dagmarinkatu 6
FI-00100 Helsinki
Tel. (09)310 4 011
Fax (09) 310 37573
E-mail: mayk(at)hel.fi
Counselling Mon-Fri 8.15 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tel. 09 3103 7577
Immigrant Services Unit in Finnish and English .
The Immigrant Services Unit page also contains information about refugees in Finnish .
The reception of asylum seekers is handled at the four reception centres (vastaanottokeskus) in Helsinki . The reception centres organise the necessary basic services for asylum seekers for the period when their asylum applications are being processed.
Information on the Helsinki reception centre may be found on the website of the Social Services Department in Finnish .
The Info Bank Refugees and Asylum Seekers page contains information on the reception of refugees and asylum seekers in Finland.
Debt counselling (Velkaneuvonta)
Information on economic and debt counselling in Helsinki can be found on the Infobank page Crises in Helsinki.
Child welfare (Lastensuojelu)
Information about child welfare in Helsinki in Finnish , Swedish and English .
The Social Services Department’s family advice centres also provide specialist guidance, support and care.
Contact details for family advice centres by area in Finnish.
Day Care
Information on day care in Helsinki can be found on the Infobank page Education in Helsinki.
Youth work
Youth work in Helsinki is the responsibility of the City of Helsinki Youth Department. Centres for youth activity in Finnish, Swedish and English.
The elderly
Information on services for the elderly, including service housing, home treatment and transport services, can be found on the Senior Citizens (Seniori-info) page in Finnish and Swedish. Telephone advice is available 8.15 a.m. - 4 p.m. during weekdays on (09) 310 44556 and personal counselling 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at S-Info, Toinen linja 4A 00530 Helsinki .
Services for the elderly are available from the Social Services and Local Care Unit for the relevant area. Contact details in Finnish.
Home care services provided by the health centres offer support in day-to-day tasks in the home that customers are unable to perform themselves. Contact details for home care in Finnish and Swedish.
Services for the disabled
Services for the disabled include social work, housing services, home care and transport services. Services for the disabled are available in Helsinki from the Social Services and Local Care Unit for the relevant area. Contact details in Finnish. Contact details for Swedish-language services in Swedish.
More information on services for the disabled in Helsinki is available on the website of the Social Services Department in Finnish, Swedish and English.
The City of Helsinki Hel.fi website contains links in Finnish to the websites of organisations for the disabled in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
The website of the Social Services Department contains information on acquiring mobility and other aids in Helsinki in Finnish. Applications for services for the disabled may be made using the form available on the website of the Social Services Department in Finnish and Swedish.
Disabled children
Services in Helsinki for children with developmental disabilities, and the persons close to them, are provided by a clinic for the disabled. If you wish to become a customer of the clinic, contact the social worker for your area dealing with care of children with development disabilities.
Contact details for the Social Services Department’s social work unit for the disabled in Finnish.