Access to Alcohol Programs? Liisa Jokela, The Finnish Blue Ribbon.

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Access to Alcohol Programs?
Drugs, smoking and alcohol
Nordic Public Health Conference
24–26 August 2011 Turku, Finland
Liisa Jokela, Coordinator, The Finnish Blue Ribbon/VAPA

2. www.sininauhaliitto.fi

3. www.sininauhaliitto.fi
Health Care for Everybody?
-Accessibility is Quality-
• The concept of disability – an individual or
structural problem?
• People with disabilities in substance abuse
and mental health services in Finland
• VAPA support services and multiprofessional
network promoting equality

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Disability as a problem?
- Mystique
- Prejudice
- Labelling
- Participation?
- Poverty?
- Health inequities

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Handicapism
• A person with
disability uses his/her
own disabilty as the
cause of all problems
• A person is
approached as a
disabled person by
practitioner or others

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Societal structures are the problem?

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Survey of intoxicant-related cases in health
and social services in Finland 2007
More than 12 000 intoxicant-related cases
People with visual impairments 4%
People with hearing impairments 2%
People with physical disability 11%
People with developmental disorder, neurological
disorder or brain injury 12%
More research is needed

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Preventive and Development Projects
1. Preventive Project in Intoxicant-Related Harms for
People with Disabilities 1998–2000
The aim was to prevent intoxicant-related harms to
disabled citizens by giving information to substance
abusers, their families and disability services personnel
2. Development Project in Substance Abuse Services
for People with Disabilities 2001–2004
The collaboration project created cooperation by 19
different disability associations and substance abuse
service providers

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VAPA continues today
VAPA was launched by the Finnish Blue Ribbon in 2005.
The work is funded by Finland’s Slot Machine Association.
Action points:
1. Promoting cooperation in substance abuse, mental health
and disability service sectors
2. Advocating recognition and attitudes towards disability
3. Promoting access to information on intoxicant-related
issues for people with disabilities

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VAPA models
• Training
• Intoxicant-free disability rehabilitation
• Substance abuse strategy planning model
• Cooperation network
• Accessibility

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Nothing about us without us
www.vapa.info
Thank you!