Together with Pride

Individual meetings can be support discussions, service coordination, sexual counseling or even art therapy. In the meetings your situation is assessed with a trained professional and a plan for supporting you discussed. We offer 1-5 support discussions for each individual and some are forwarded to peer groups while some remain in individual support. Our staff will also direct you to other services to strengthen your support network.

There are Together With Pride group activities almost every day of the week, and in addition we organise workshops and events. All participants are known to our group instructors and our meetings operate on a safe space basis. We go through the rules at the beginning of each meeting. For privacy reasons information on the groups is not published online, but participants will receive information directly.

We work from a resource oriented perspective, meaning that we focus on the present and future and strengthen the participants’ abilities and resilience. Group meetings allow encounters with peers and offer information and support on for example sexual diversity and gender pluralism as well as the human rights situationin Finland as well as legislation and events regarding gender identity and sexual orientation. In addition the groups also make art, cook, visit interesting places, play games and watch movies. Participants come for example from the Middle East, Russia and various African countries.

Groups are always joined through individual meetings with staff. For security reasons we are very careful on allowing new participants into the groups and what information we publish in regards to the groups. For those interested we set up a meeting with Yasmin Okpara, who is in charge of our Together with Pride work. Meetings with Yasmin need to be set up through a reception centre employee.
If needed the reception centre is responsible for booking a translator for the meeting. In the first meeting we go through your individual situation and need for support and the goals of peer activities. We have the resources to offer up to five individual consultations for each client.

Due to a rise in need we ask you to book appointments first and foremost during
Yasmin’s phone hours on Tuesdays (11-13, tel. +358 45 1337077) or via email yasmin(at)pride.fi.

Our staff gives training and consultation for professionals working in education and social and health care offer information on sexual and gender minorities from the perspective of encountering clients and well-being. The training is facilitated by an university educated trainer with expertise in the human rights, health and well-being aspects of working with sexual and gender minorities.
Our support consists of one-on-one meetings as well as peer group activities. Groups can be joined only through individual meetings in which our trained professional gets to know the client and creates a plan of action with the client.

We can provide up to five individual meetings per client. In the meetings topics discussed can be for example basic information on sexuality and gender diversity, experiences of discrimination, safe relationships, sexual abuse, human rights or sexual counseling. Our work is focused on psychosocial support and providing information, we do not offer legal help or help finding accommodation.

Please note that especially individuals in reception centres should book their appointments through reception centre staff. This makes it easier for us to accommodate everyone. We do not have funding to offer translation services, so a translator (usually attending via phone) must be booked by a reception centre staff member. We maintain a list of LGBTQIA+ friendly translators that you can access if needed.

You can either call during phone hours or email us. Yasmin Okpara is in charge of our Together work, who you can call on Tuesdays (11-13, tel. +358 45 1337077) or email yasmin(at)pride.fi.

Please note that membership of the Helsinki Pride community is not required to participate in Together activities or individual meetings. Membership also has no effect on, for example, the asylum application process.

Below you’ll find more information and materials for professionals regarding asylum seekers and refugees in sexual and gender minorities.

Crisis helpline of MIELI Mental Health of Finland

Cri­sis Helpline in Ara­bic and English
MIELI Mental Health Finland provides crisis assistance and support in order to prevent mental health problems and suicides. The Crisis Helpline allows you to discuss your thoughts, feelings and situation in life with a crisis worker or a trained volunteer.

The Crisis Helpline offers help in Arabic and English via telephone on 09 2525 0113 and on WhatsApp on +358 40 195 8202. You can call us anonymously and confidentially.

Social and crisis emergency services Social emergency services help during crisis situations occurring during evenings and weekends.

Situations that require immediate actions from the social authorities are part of the duties of social emergency services.

The crisis emergency support provides emergency crisis support in sudden crisis situations, such as the sudden death of a close relative, violent situations, severe injury/illness or fire.

Acute crisis support is short-term support: there are 1 to 5 customer meetings, crisis support via phone, assessment of further treatment needs and arrangement of further treatment.

Emergency Social Services 24/7 020 696 006

Crisis emergency support 24/7 09 310 44222

FOR HELSINKI RESIDENTS ONLY

Sopu work helps in crisis and conflict situations that are related to ideas of honour.

Have you been dating in secret?
Are you worried that you have offended your family’s honour? Would you like to divorce your spouse, but your family does not accept that?

Do you spend time in places where you have been told not to go? Are you afraid of your family’s reaction in case they find out?

Do you dress differently than what your family expects of you? Do you feel like you need to hide things about yourself?

Have people been spreading rumours about you in your community?

Do you feel attracted to the same gender? Are you scared about what will happen if your family finds out?

Do you feel like your own dreams for the future are very different from those of your parents? Is this causing constant arguments within your family?

Secrets can be heavy to carry alone. Come talk with a Sopu-worker. You can contact a Sopu-worker from the number +358 50 470 0490 or via email at sopu@loistosetlementti.fi. We will answer contact requests during office hours.

At home accommodation asylum seekers live in a private local home instead of a reception centre. The Home Accommodation Network and its support association Kotimajoituksen tuki ry foster home accommodation on various ways. We bring together people seeking accommodation and offering it at their home and provide training, support and information before and during the stay. Home accommodation gives both parties valuable experience. The resident will find their way into the local community, is able to acquire language skills and contact network.

Home accommodation is one of the few models that promote two-way integration, which helps to reduce discriminatory attitudes and reinforces diversity and equality amongst other things. Many LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers want to live in home accommodation and there is constant need for new home accommodations. If you are interested in seeking or offering home accommodation, please contact the support association’s Community Mobilization Advisor Olavi Karvonen (o.karvonen@kotimajoitusverkosto.fi, +358 44 2397 049).

Helsinki Pride Community also supports undocumented persons in sexual and gender minorities. With undocumented clients we often face the problem that we cannot provide translation services as we do not have the funding for it. In some cases we are able to utilize volunteer translators, but preferably the translator should be arranged by the municipality. Support meetings can include guidance and counseling on for example diversity of gender and sexuality, sexual health and the rights of the undocumented individual as well as service coordination.

If you are undocumented and in a gender or sexual minority in need of support, you can contact Laura, our substitute Executive Director at laura@pride.fi or by phone on Tuesdays 15-16 (+358 44 277 3611)

SOS Crisis Centre offers short term crisis counselling and guidance in crisis situations for anyone living in Finland including immigrants, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking and undocumented immigrants.

We offer crisis counselling in Finnish, Swedish, English and if necessary, through an interpreter in the client’s mother tongue. The counselling is cost free and anonymous if needed.

No referral is needed to book an appointment, your own experience of crisis is enough. Common reasons for the client to seek help from the SOS center:

Difficult situation in life
Difficulties adapting to a new culture
Marital relationship problems and family problems
Suicidal thoughts
Sudden losses
Accidents, violence
Mental health problems
Booking and inquiries
Call: 09 4135 0510
Open on Mon-Thu 9- 12 and 13-15, Fridays 9-12.

Health care for the undocumented in Finland.

Every person in Finland is entitled to urgent health care. If in need of URGENT care, please contact your local health care centre or hospital emergency care unit. Urgent care is more extensive than acute care given at the hospital emergency care unit. It should also include necessary medication and laboratory investigations. If someone’s life is in danger, always call 112!

The Clinic is run by volunteers who provide health care services. The services are primarily for patients who are not entitled to public health care in Finland regardless of nationality or migration status. We give information about health services in Finland. Services are free of charge, anonymous and in strict confidence. You can call us and ask for advice: +358 44 977 4547. Volunteer nurse answers the phone. You can also get a translator on the phone if needed.

All participants are met before joining group meetings in private meetings. This is to ensure safety of all participants and to give more detailed information. If you wish to participate, please contact your social worker to book a meeting at Helsinki Pride Community.

Note that if you need an interpreter, you must ask your social worker to book an appointment with our staff.

ILGA – the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association – is the world federation of national and local organisations dedicated to achieving equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people across the globe.

From the link below you will find over 1500 worldwide member organisations. In case you are looking for information about your rights as an LGBTIQA+ person or you are facing persecution, we suggest that you contact the local or the nearest organisation provided by the list.

ILGA has been publishing maps on sexual orientation laws every year, producing them in various languages to reach out for more communities around the world. On the page you will find the most recent overview of sexual orientation laws in the world.