Essi Rovamo

I am a project researcher in the “Promoting Evidence-based Practice in Social Work (NÄPSÄ)” project devoted to enhancing how social workers use evidence-based practices to help those in need. This project is funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health with a state grant for university-level research in social work. NÄPSÄ research project executes three work packages:

1. We investigate evidence-based practice’s perceptions and knowledge base by performing scoping reviews and interviewing social work managers.
2. We evaluate the learning and implementation of evidence-based practice in social work students.
3. We will carry out and evaluate an education pilot for social workers.

For anyone interested in the intersection of research and practice, I invite you to explore more about NÄPSÄ on our UEFConnect page.

My doctoral dissertation “Social risks among specialised psychiatric care patients: A mixed-methods registry-based study” investigates social risks documented in specialized psychiatric care according to register-based data. It aims to develop an understanding of social risks, how they influence psychiatric patients’ well-being, and the role health social work plays in managing them. The research material consists of register-based data from 191 psychiatric patients who received treatment at Helsinki University Hospital between 2009 and 2019. The research data were analysed using a mixed-methods approach.

Throughout my career, I have been involved in several developmental projects in gerontological and health social work. I have broad expertise in structural social work, learning practices, and project work. For example, I have developed gerontological social work to meet the Social Welfare Act (2014/1301) obligations for clients with complex needs. I was also part of the pioneering pilot program for the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model, a groundbreaking approach that rehabilitates people with severe mental health problems to work life. In addition, I have been a coordinator of TYÖOTE-model, a collaboration between occupational health care and public health care. My expertise centers around themes of social and healthcare integration, effectiveness, and sustainability—topics that are crucial as we strive to enhance the well-being of vulnerable people.