Welcome to Social services in Central Denmark Region

Facts

• 244 placements in residential care
• 127 placements in daytime activities
• 22 departments
• 533 employees

Who is our target group

Autistic adults often with co-occurring disorders, such as developmental disabilities, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, self-harming behaviour, suicidal tendencies, psychotic conditions or substance abuse issues.

Our specialised expertise

We use a wide range of specialised methods. Special emphasis is on engaging interactions and methods, including LA2, Open Dialogue and Intensive Interaction. Our focus is on tailoring communication to the autistic target group and to the individual, thereby accommodating the citizens’ own perspectives and enabling meaningful communication. Individual interventions are offered, based on the citizen’s wishes, dreams and resources.

Projects we are or have been working on

We are involved in a number of development projects in close collaboration with autistic partners, including:

Boostcamp: An intensive resource and community-oriented programme in an autism-friendly environment, where autistic educators serve as role models. The focus is on knowledge about autism and strengthening the individual’s identity and potential.

Peer education: An educational programme where autistic adults are trained to translate their own experiences into skills and are subsequently employed to support other autistic people in schools, residential facilities and employment.

Citizen-led teams: A concept where each citizen has their own individually composed team of employees and can choose which employees they want on their team.

We have also established an Autistic Advisory Board, where autistic adults who are making or have made use of some of our services participate in the development of new projects, specific methods, our three-year strategy, our professional foundation and our educational programmes.

Vivian Elkjær Head of specialised social services Autism E-mail: VIVELK@rm.dk

Facts

• 114 placements in residential care
• 160 placements in daytime activities
• 6 departments
• 311 employees

Who is our target group

Adults with acquired brain injury. The target group is characterised by complex cognitive, physical and social difficulties.

All the citizens in this group share a need for individually tailored interventions and/or support in their everyday lives.

Our specialised expertise

We take a neuropedagogical approach. Neuropedagogy is a holistic and interdisciplinary approach that focuses on the whole person. Neuropedagogy takes into account knowledge about the citizen’s level of functioning, resources and limitations, among other things. 

Low Arousal is used to help citizens avoid unnecessary emotional arousal and conflict situations.

We support citizens in using and developing technological solutions in their everyday lives that can increase their independence, provide more choices, support memory and structure and offer opportunities for self-training.

Projects we are or have been working on

We have tested BBAUM as a calming measure for citizens with acquired brain injury. BBAUM is a concept in which employees use touch and relational and physical contact to support citizens’ feelings of comfort, safety and integrity.

The goal is to help citizens feel more secure, happy and in control of their own lives. This should result in a higher level of physical and mental well-being, as well as active participation in one’s own life.

Ann-Christina Frederiksen Head of specialised social services Brain injury E-mail: ANNFRD@rm.dk

Facts

• 190 placements in residential care
• 25 placements in daytime activities
• 6 departments
• 415 employees

Who is our target group

Our social psychiatric services for adults are aimed at adults with severe mental disorders, often resulting in significant and permanent functional impairment. This can include cognitive difficulties, social challenges and a reduced ability to perform everyday tasks. The target group needs extensive support and specialised interventions in order to lead a meaningful and stable life.

Our specialised expertise

We work with a range of recognised professional approaches that aim to create safe, predictable and nurturing environments for citizens. We use the following methods, among others:

• Affective Appreciative Communication, which focuses on meeting citizens with empathy and respect and creating a sense of emotional security.
• Low Arousal, which supports an approach aimed at avoiding conflict and confrontation, with a focus on calm and tranquility, structure and self-control.
• Neuroaffective Developmental Psychology, an approach that works with personality development through regulation and stimulation of the nervous system.

Our work is recovery-oriented and based on a fundamental respect for the individual’s perspective. Open Dialogue, which promotes dialogue between equals and the involvement of networks in decision-making processes, as well as citizen involvement and influence – including the empowerment of citizens as active participants in their own lives – are therefore key elements in our practice.

Projects we are or have been working on

We regularly participate in development projects aimed at improving the quality of our sociopsychiatric work. Our focus is, among other things, on promoting closer and more meaningful cooperation with citizens and their relatives, as well as testing and implementing new pedagogical methods and approaches in support of citizens’ well-being and development.

Lars Bording-Machon Head of specialised social services Social psychiatric services for adults E-mail: LABORD@rm.dk

Facts

• 112 placements in residential care
• 76 placements in daytime activities
• 5 departments
• 300 employees

Who is our target group

Adults with developmental disabilities, including individuals sentenced to treatment, Prader-Willi syndrome, and citizens with complex support needs.

Our specialised expertise

We work based on Neuroaffective Developmental Psychology and use Cognitive, Resource-based and Appreciative Pedagogy and other individual approaches to support citizens’ development and independence.

Projects we are or have been working on

We have implemented an internal continuing education course (‘Fagpilot’) to ensure systematic upskilling and the delivery of high-quality services.

We have developed KRIGU – a crime prevention group programme for convicted citizens with developmental disabilities designed to strengthen citizens in working towards a life without crime.

Hilde E. Thun Head of specialised social services Developmental disabilities E-mail: hilhol@rm.dk

Facts

• 89 placements in residential care
• 33 placements in daytime activities
• 7 departments
• 402 employees

Who is our target group

We cater for a broad target group of children and young people in care and with very specific challenges. One of our facilities is home to children and young people severely traumatised by their upbringing. Another facility cares for children born with multiple disabilities and life-limiting diagnoses. At a third facility, the target group is young people with autism spectrum disorders and normal intelligence. We run a total of seven residential facilities, three internal schools and a kindergarten.

Our specialised expertise

We focus on promoting the development and well-being of children and young people by supporting their mastery, goals and meaning-making. That is at the heart of our work as professionals.

Theoretically, our practice is inspired by Neuroaffective Developmental Psychology and Low Arousal approaches. All the pedagogical and psychological methods we use rest on this foundation.

Projects we are or have been working on

We are engaged at all times in developing and evaluating our pedagogical methods to improve our services for children and young people with complex needs.

This also calls for new ways of thinking about learning. In this respect, our focus is on ensuring the best possible form of teaching, and we have successfully implemented simulation training for the upskilling of employees.

Nikolaj Sørensen Head of specialised social services Children and young people E-mail: NIKSO1@rm.dk

Facts

• 61 placements in residential care
• 51 placements in daytime activities
• 4 departments
• 278 employees

Who is our target group

Potential offenders in the 12 to 18-year-old age group and children and young people with previous convictions, substance abuse, mental health issues, cognitive and social challenges.  

Our specialised expertise

We use methods such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Aggression Replacement Training (ART), substance abuse treatment (MOVE), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Low Arousal 2 (LA2). In addition, we also work with educational and employment interventions for young people and with family therapy. Our focus is on reducing risky behaviour and strengthening social skills.  

Projects we are or have been working on

We participate in development projects aimed at improving treatment methods and strengthening our collaboration with municipalities and other actors, cf. the above-mentioned methods. In addition, we are working to strengthen our psychosocial working environment with regard to stress psychology, defusing and debriefing.

Anne E. Hegelund Head of specialised social services Children and young people involved in or at risk of crime E-mail: anhege@rm.dk

Facts

• 55 placements in residential care
• 92 placements in daytime activities
• 9 departments
• 202 employees

Who is our target group

We offer treatment for young people aged 12 to 23 years, with the option of continuing treatment up to the age of 30. Our target group is young people with complex psychiatric difficulties. Treatment is tailored to the individual and takes place in close collaboration with the young person and their network.

Our specialised expertise

We work with environmental therapy, focusing on relationships, structure and predictability. Environmental therapy is integrated into daily life and supported by a multidisciplinary team consisting of educators, occupational therapists, healthcare professionals, psychologists, external psychiatric consultants and other specialists.

Other therapies offered include:

Horse-assisted therapy: A method where interacting with horses helps young people build self-esteem, body awareness and social skills.

Art therapy: Creative forms of expression are used therapeutically to promote self-understanding and emotional processing.

Projects we are or have been working on

We have established a FOKUS group (an acronym formed from the initial letters of the Danish words for research, quality and development), a multidisciplinary unit engaged in the development and implementation of new treatment methods. The group facilitates ideation, project work and skills development across the organisation.

Examples of FOKUS group projects include:

Art therapy for self-harm: Investigates how artistic activities in the context of environmental therapy can reduce young people’s urge to self-harm.

Design your future: Trials treatment method centred on young people’s wishes, dreams and hopes for the future.

Rasmus Ladefoged Head of specialised social services Holmstrupgård E-mail: Rasdin@rm.dk

Facts

• Approximately 2,100 clients in outpatient treatment
• 6 departments
• 123 employees

Specialist knowledge in practice

The Department of Communication and Disability is an outpatient treatment and counselling service for children, young people, adults and their families.

We are dedicated specialists working across disciplines and sectors, and taking a holistic approach to help people with communication, mental or physical disabilities master their lives.

Our activities span the specialised social services as well as the somatic and psychiatric healthcare services, with which we work closely. We therefore work within the framework of various fields of law, including social, special education and health legislation.

We deliver specialist knowledge in practice in the form of rehabilitation, treatment, teaching, guidance and counselling for citizens and professionals across Denmark, and deliver our services to municipalities, government agencies and regions in Denmark. 

We are: speech therapists, special-needs consultants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, neuropsychologists, reading consultants, dentists, dental assistants, dental technicians, development consultants and administrative staff.

We are committed to developing the social services and specialist knowledge in practice of the future through citizen involvement and digital and welfare technology solutions.

The Department of Communication and Disability heads the social services area in the Central Denmark Region’s Joint Function for Welfare Technology (FVD).

Projects

IKH: 

• Development of an AI assistant for people with aphasia and their relatives
• Facilitation pilot – process and meeting facilitation for subject specialists 
• Counselling and guidance programme Dysarthria – children and adults
• Counselling and guidance programme Children and well-being

The Joint Function for Welfare Technology:

• Safe nights – development of a digital monitoring solution based on needs assessment among night shift workers and citizens 
• Better sleep – testing welfare technology solutions to improve sleep throughout the social services sector 
• Use of VR in the social services sector

Gaby Juhl Head of specialised social services Department of communication and disability E-mail: KENJUH@rm.dk