STEA: Public Sector Responsibilities
65% of STEA funding (177.2 M€) goes to services that are statutory public sector duties. Organizations fill gaps - but who should actually provide these services?
65%
177.2 M€ / 273.9 M€
of STEA funding supplements statutory services
This doesn't mean org work is unnecessary. Organizations supplement the public sector with peer support, lived experience and low-threshold services. The question is: should the public sector provide these services itself, or is the org model more efficient?
Wellbeing regions (healthcare)
Mental health, substance abuse work, crisis services and rehabilitation are statutory duties of wellbeing regions. Organizations supplement with peer support, but core service belongs to the public sector.
105.2 M€
20+ orgs
Employment services
Employment promotion, job coaching and career services are TE services' responsibility. In 2025 responsibility transferred to municipalities.
20.7 M€
20+ orgs
Municipalities (integration)
Immigrant integration is a statutory municipal duty (Integration Act). Organizations do a significant part of the practical work.
14.3 M€
20+ orgs
Wellbeing regions (disability services)
Disability services are statutory duties of wellbeing regions. Organizations provide peer support and advocacy.
15.8 M€
20+ orgs
Wellbeing regions (family caregiving)
Family caregiver support is a wellbeing region duty. Organizations supplement with peer support.
8.8 M€
20+ orgs
ARA / municipalities (housing)
Homelessness reduction and housing services are responsibilities of municipalities and ARA.
7.2 M€
20+ orgs
Wellbeing regions (child protection)
Child protection and domestic violence work are statutory duties of wellbeing regions.
2.5 M€
6+ orgs
Schools (student welfare)
Student welfare, anti-bullying and school wellbeing are schools' and wellbeing regions' responsibilities.
2.6 M€
3+ orgs
How could the public sector organize?
1. Wellbeing region healthcare
Wellbeing regions could integrate crisis, mental health and substance abuse services into their own network. Peer support doesn't need outsourcing - regions can hire experience experts directly. Crisis phone could be one national service funded by regions.
2. Employment and integration
The 2025 TE reform transferred employment services to municipalities. Yet 21M STEA money goes to org employment projects. Municipalities could tender these or produce in-house. Integration (14M) is already a statutory municipal duty.
3. Disability and caregiving
Disability services law obliges wellbeing regions to provide services. Caregiver law obliges support. 25M could flow directly through wellbeing region budgets.
4. Housing and homelessness
Y-saatio, VVA and Sininauhasaatio do homelessness work for 7M. Housing First is already national strategy. Wellbeing regions and municipalities could integrate housing support into healthcare.
5. Model: from orgs to public sector
Not overnight but gradually. Wellbeing regions identify which org services they could produce, tender or integrate. Org expertise transfers to public sector - doesn't disappear. Peer support stays, admin gets lighter.
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51 groups doing overlapping work