Health and wellbeing of schoolchildren

School health care is part of student welfare services and is intended to support pupils' wellbeing, learning and healthy development and prevent social exclusion. We work in cooperation with teachers, school social workers, school psychologists and other staff, with the consent of the pupil and their guardians.

Apunappi in Aula

7th–9th graders in Helsinki schools can use the Apunappi (“Help Button”) in the Aula portal when something is bothering them, worrying them or making them feel bad. The button can be found in the Aula portal accessible on school computers, under the Nutti squirrel icon.

You can use the Apunappi to send a message to the school nurse, school social worker, school psychologist or other youth social and health services, for example. The message is sent by secure form, to which a professional will respond within 1–5 days.

You can also use the Apunappi to chat anonymously with professionals. In addition to this, the Apunappi provides children and young people with contact details for various emergency services, such as Mieli ry's Crisis Helpline, the Youth Shelter or Sekasin chat.

You might also be interested in

Nuortennetti (MML) in Finnish

The Nuortennetti service of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare is a website for young people, who also contribute to the site themselves. Topics covered by the website include sexuality, media use, mental health, bullying and intoxicants.

Telephone service for children and young people (MML) in Finnish

The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare’s hotline is open every day of the year. Children and young people can call the hotline to talk to a trusted adult about issues troubling them.

Vaccination programme for children (THL)

On the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, you can find the national vaccination programme for children.

Healthy Pupil

You can find free teaching materials for physical education and health education in comprehensive schools.

Neuvokas perhe

The Neuvokas perhe (‘resourceful family’) team of the Finnish Heart Association offers tips and ideas to support families’ wellbeing.

Mentalhub

Health Village’s Mentalhub offers information on mental wellbeing and services.

Children’s health

The ‘Children’s health’ page on the InfoFinland website offers information on children’s health care in several languages.

Early support social services

If you need support for parenting challenges or a stressful everyday life, you can seek help from social counselling, social guidance, home services, the family counselling clinic or relationship counselling. You do not need to be a social welfare client

Contact details of the administration

School health care services are divided administratively into three areas: southern-western, eastern, and northern. The chief nursing officer is responsible for the operations in the area. The immediate supervisor of the school nurses is the head nurse.

Supervisor in charge of unit

Tuula Salmivaara-Pesonen (substitute: Marianna Niemi-Korhonen)

School Health Care Manager

Tel. +358 9 310 42161 / +358 40 631 8194

Marianna.Niemi-Korhonen@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)