Erja Kallio is Tehy’s first Mental Health and Substance Abuse Worker of the Year

Mental health nurse Erja Kallio is Tehy’s first ever Mental Health and Substance Abuse Worker of the Year.

Kallio was nominated for the award by a colleague, and her supervisor was happy to endorse the nomination. Kallio is a long-serving mental health nurse who has had an exceptionally distinguished career in mental health work.

According to the award citation, Kallio embodies Finnish mental health nursing in the best possible way. She is dedicated to her work, wears her professional title with pride and sets an example to both her colleagues and future mental health professionals.

Receiving this award is a great honour for Kallio.

– Receiving this recognition makes me feel humble and grateful. In everyday life, it’s all too easy to forget to give and receive feedback.

Kallio worked for 25 years in a closed ward for adolescent psychiatry at Kellokoski Hospital. Adolescent psychiatry is close to Kallio’s heart. According to her, young people are very genuine in the treatment relationship once the initial nervousness has subsided and they have committed to the treatment.

For the past 12 years, Kallio has been working in adult psychiatric outpatient care at HUS’s Enhanced Outpatient Care Unit in Hyvinkää.

Professional expertise provides security

According to the award citation, Kallio has an outstanding ability to quickly grasp changing situations and to act in a determined, methodical and calm manner, even in challenging circumstances. Her professional expertise provides security for both patients and the work community.

Kallio is a pioneer in the use of the MAPA method in Finland: she was involved in introducing the model to Finland and has been training staff in its use for many years. MAPA is a comprehensive care model for managing the challenging and aggressive behaviour of patients.

Kallio is very important to her current work community.

– As a result of staff turnover, a large number of new and recently graduated nurses have been recruited alongside experienced staff. The work community looks to Erja as a valued source of knowledge, whom they can always turn to for advice, guidance and collegial support. She openly shares her expertise and helps others improve in their profession; her colleague writes in the nomination.

According to the award citation, Kallio’s expertise has provided invaluable support to doctors, nurses and other members of the multi-professional team within the HUS teaching hospital environment.

Developments in mental health care are causing concern

The citation states that Kallio has just the right amount of edge. She also has her own views and is not afraid to speak out about problems. Kallio is always on the patients’ side and acts in their best interests.

When you ask Kallio what has changed in her work, the answer is clear: everything.

– There used to be time to interact with people, back when nurses weren’t constantly rushed off their feet. We used to make a lot of home visits and travel all over the region. These days, we are mainly able to see patients at the outpatient clinic.

Kallio says that this development is sad in many ways. Hospital care places have been reduced and replaced by acute care. She refers to the issue as ‘revolving door’ treatment, as acute hospital care is often too short in relation to the patient’s symptoms, and the patient may not yet be ready for outpatient care.

According to Kallio, outpatient psychiatric care suffers from a lack of resources, and the waiting lists for actual psychiatric mood disorder appointments are extremely long.

– In my view, outpatient care should have been expanded and diversified. It is important to work together with the patient to find relief and solutions to their situation.

Erja Kallio received the award during Tehy’s mental health and substance abuse work training day on 26 October 2026.

Enquiries:

Erja Kallio, Tehy’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse Worker of the Year, [email protected]