The Habilitation Services is a collective term for a set of services aimed to help: individuals suffering from permanent or temporary disability due to illness, damages or bodily defects of any kind.

The services comprises each individual's entire life situation, and with regard to children and juvenescence it will in addition include:

• Remedial actions for the children
• Remedial actions for the parents/superiors and siblings
• Remedial actions to the social environment
• Remedial action in the kindergarten (nursery school)
• Remedial actions in the school
• A variety of health services
• A variety of social services
• Cultural and leisure activities

The Habilitation Service is focused on each individuals own resources and his/hers capability of development.

In some cases the objective will be to improve each individual's ability and make them more self-supporting through training and education.

In other cases the objective will be to prevent any further development of disability.

Regardless, the main objective will be to create as good a social life as possible for each individual.

Habilitation in this context means to create and support functions, co-operation and quality of life for individuals who has a congenital or at an early stage developed disability.

Rehabilitation may be taken to mean education/training aimed at regaining function ability lost by damages or other bodily defects.

Habilitation shall provide and secure each disable children with the best possible development based on each individual's own condition. (Ref. Stortingsmelding 41 87/88 "Helsepolitikk mot år 2000", Nasjonal Helseplan. (Ref. Report No 41 87/88 "Health policy towards the year 2000", National Health Scheeme).

The Habilitation Unite for children and juvenescence in Troms is a county council service offered by the Paediatrician Department at "Regionsykehuset i Tromsø" (RiTØ).

The Habilitation Service to disable individuals is principally the responsibility of the municipal, but whenever specific competence is required, the county council Habilitation Unite will assist.

The Habilitation Unite for children and adolescents can provide interdisciplinary team for deliberation, diagnose, training, guidance and courses for the parents/superiors and the municipal service unites.

The Team will consist of medical doctor, physiologist, occupation therapist, welfare officer, physiotherapist, educationalist, test technician, autism consultant and secretary.

The Unite has 3 apartments where the families can stay.

The deliberation/examination is done polyclinic and may take 1 to 5 days.

Report on the findings is done in summing up meetings and in writing.

The Habilitation Unite can also provide follow up services and guidance in each individual's home municipality.

TARGET GROUP FOR THE HABILITATION UNITE FOR CHILDREN

The Habilitation Unite for children and adolescents in Troms shall provide for the habilitation needs on the county level (2^nd lines level) for disable children and juvenescence up to the age of 18 years.

The Target Group is children and adoplescents suffering from disability, children and adolescents in need of treatment of compounded medical, educational and/or social character. Children and adolescents whose parents/superiors or other personnel are in need of distinct training programs for the day to day care (including children and adolescents suffering from mental disability or autism).

As from 1^st Januar1999 a medical doctor shall sign all references. We take it for granted that a thorough and interdisciplinary deliberation has been made prior to the submittal of the reference.

The office section at the Habilitation Unite represents a joint function for the Habilitation Unite for children and the Habilitation Unites for adults.

Fellesfunksjon  = Joint (or shared) function

Trekant              = Triangle

Leder/"Husfar" = Manager/"Head of family"/ ("Master of the house")

Kontorleder       = Head Clerk

Leder                 = Manager

It has been established a "managerial triangle" (composed of the head clerk and the managers of both unites) as a result of the conclusion made by a work group regarding co-operation between the Habilitation Unite for children and the Habilitation Unite for adults. A common head clerk has been employed; who forms part of the "managerial triangle".

The Head Clerk takes part in the planning and co-ordination, and will keep both teams updated with regard to new initiative, plans and congestion points at the office section.

The establishment of the "managerial triangle" has made it a permanent forum, which can make decisions within common frames regarding the day to day running of the "house".

By this we will achieve a better utilisation of the recourses / exchange of services / competence and especially the advantage of preparatory procedures regarding the transition of patients from "children/adolescents" to "adults".