« There are many young people at risk now »

The decision to close the mental rehabilitation of Janusi has had a major impact on its clients and many of them have experienced a great backlash on their recovery road. This is what they say Arna Björk Gunnarsdóttir and Gerður Sif Ingvarsdóttir, mothers of young women who have enjoyed Janus's services. They shared their experience and their daughters with mbl.is.

Janusi will be closed on June 1st due to lack of capital. This is one of the largest mental rehabilitation in the country outside of institutions where the psychiatrist is in charge of the medical rehabilitation of clients. Medical rehabilitation must take place in the case of Janus's clients, before vocational rehabilitation can begin.

Janus's clients have difficulty getting out of their rooms after closing off for a long time. They have found hope and security at Janus's multidisciplinary team after not finding the harmony anywhere else in the health care system. Some have gone through BUGL (the Landspítali Children's and Adolescent Department)- which is reportedly Örna and made financially and overcrowded emergency remedies. Then the psychiatric ward would not be the right place, since autism is not a mental illness, but this group needs some space in the system.

« This government has talked about the importance of increasing the mental health of young people. We have a group of young people who have this great resource that works and it just should close it?

No other resort like Janus

Young people who have a neurodegenerative disorder, have been victims of bullying in school or carrying a variety of traumatic history have received rehabilitation within Janus, which has been successful. Over 56% of graduates have been successful over the past three years, have been employed, study, or have an active, truly job search.

Janusi has a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists and contacts of each client individually and participate in all kinds of group work, which takes place on their grounds. Everything they may need is therefore under one roof and thus there is no need to move between places, but as mentioned earlier, many are coming from complete disability and isolation and find it difficult enough to get out of the house. Predictability is therefore extremely important.

« At the same time as the mental health of young people is being discussed, the only remedy that serves this group of young people in this way. Most other remedies I have learned that clients have to go all over the town, which would not work for this group. She has also heard that the contacts are coming out in a car to get clients who find it difficult to get out of the car and into the house.

« In fact, some contacts have also driven home and retrieved clients, to help them attend Janus, so they are being taken care of them and I do not see other remedies do this for their clients.

« It is our parents to fight for our children »

« So autistic people are a little in the open air right now, » says Arna. They are therefore fighting for future dresses as well as their own daughters.

« It's very sad, there is a 25 -year specialist service that was just three to four years ago and talked about what this works well for some young people – it just had to be the future – and then all of a sudden now you just have to close it, » she adds.

Their daughters of both have experienced a great setback after it was clear that Janusi will be closed this summer. They experience Janus as the only safe place for themselves within the system, after trying many other resources. There they feel security, assurance and that they are taken as they are. They are trusted to assess themselves what they can and what not – within certain limits – which they have not experienced in other remedies.

« Most of these young people do not want to be seen or heard, so it is our parents to fight for our children and future children, » says Gerður.

Arna and Gerður specifically state that the intention is not to speak down other resources, they are good in their own way than for other individuals. For the group of their daughters, the rehabilitation remedy Janus is the only place in the system that gives them and their relatives some hope.

According to the mothers, it is not only focused on clients entering the labor market directly, but the goal is that they can participate in life itself and get to the place that could enable them to go to work or study rehabilitation after some time.

« She's coming out of complete disability »

« I had a child who didn't get out of his room, » says Gerður. Her daughter has been in Janus for almost a year and made great progress after starting to meet regularly.

« She's starting to attend time with her psychologist – who was previously through teleconferencing equipment. She's starting to go to the library, she has started in distance education at the Tröllaskagi High School and is doing well there. These are things that were not possible just a few months ago. »

After Gerðar's daughter, I got to know that Janus would close this summer, she began to shut down again. She has not been able to attend Janus or to the psychologist since.

« It would not work for her to go to a remedy where there is an obligation to attend – as is in many – because it happens that she can't meet. Not because she doesn't want it or is lazy, but because she is coming out of complete disability and is part of the group that Janus has been working so well.

She is autistic and was colliding with all kinds of walls in the school system. Then came Covid, who has turned out to have been very bad for kids who had a hard time. My baby barely came out of her room at home but was now starting to participate in home life, go to school and began to look forward to her dreaming to learn and work with what she dreams of is a possibility for her. A dream she had given up on the boat because she thought she couldn't do anything. This applies a lot of kids in Janus and on Janus's waiting list. « 

Arna takes the same string and says her daughter has also closed herself inside the room. However, she is starting to attend leisure and in Janus and intends to take the car exam. The steps have therefore been in the right direction, although they have reportedly been « heavy and difficult ».

The clients of Janus participate in all kinds of group work that enhances their mental health. Examples of this are various manual work, such as bracelet making, as can be seen in the picture.

Photo/Submitted

« It is so much more expensive for the state that they end up on disability »

When asked, the mothers say no answers have been received about what will happen to Janus's clients.

« We know that it should take on something, but we do not know how the group will be served. We are pretty scared that this will be in many places.

A meeting was held with the Minister of Health last week where parents were given the opportunity to get their concerns and say their experience of the remedy. However, the meeting did not deliver any answers or conclusions.

« Nothing grasps those on the waiting list either, this is just a matter of life, » says Arna.

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« Although you take the quality of life out of parentheses, which we prefer not to do because these are our children, there is no sense in this. The numbers show that it is much more favorable for the state to continue Janusi. A lot of these kids will end up on disability or worse if they can't help,

It is so much more expensive for the state that they end up with disability. Disability benefits cost at the present value of 240 million from 18-67 years, while Janus costs about 320 million a year. We all know that disability benefits are very low so that if the person was at work, he would have a higher salary and would pay taxes and fees, would not receive subsidized services and could afford to participate in the economy. So there is no sense in this, « says Gerður.

« There are many young people at risk now, it was very heavy to them. I know it was the life of many on the waiting list to get into Janus, they are very stopped now, » says Arna.

« Nothing grasps those on the waiting list either, it's just a matter of life. »