A Challenge for an Expert: The Management of Acute Psychosocial Support

According to Finland´s Health Care Act, municipalities are responsible for organizing the acutepsychosocial support in crisis and special situations. Typical of these situations is the need for immediate and simultaneous help, where obtaining the necessary resources is challenging. Acute psychosocial support includes psychological, social and mental help to the victims, their families and communities. All these parties should be considered in managing the acute psychosocial support. Strategic management is required when psychosocial support is organized for different groups, so that the general view is not forgotten and no one is left without the offered help.

The purpose of this study was to find out what helps the expert to quickly become a crisis and special situation manager and what helps the employee to change back to the expert role. In addition, the study sought answers to crisis and special situation manager`s decision making and what kind of abilities crisis management requires? Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used including for data analysis. The data consisted of initial mapping and a theme interview made at Vantaa City social and crisis emergency department.

This study showed that the feel of being in control of a situation as well as being in control of oneself are factors supporting the management of acute psychosocial support. Both the employee and the team should have special skills to control the situation, as well as the feel of being in control personally. Crisis and special situation management consists of management support, structures, capacities and the support of various parties. These factors can be influenced by education and training. Education and training should be planned carefully, for example, by skill mapping to find weaknesses in skills so that training would be targeted correctly.