The Healthcare Institution of South Iceland
Psychological services
The Psychology Team at Heilbrigðisstofnun Suðurlands provides assessment, consultation, and treatment for individuals experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
Referrals to the Psychology Team may be made by healthcare professionals, social services, and school services. In addition, individuals can request services directly by sending a message through the Heilsuvera patient portal.
Here you can access the referral form for the psychology team.
HSU Psychological Services
Referral for Psychological Services
A doctor at the healthcare center sends a referral for psychological services.
Psychologist Services
Children and adolescents referred to psychological services are promptly offered an assessment interview, during which their difficulties are mapped out and the most appropriate intervention is evaluated. For children aged 12 years and younger, parents are sent assessment questionnaires, and the assessment interview is usually conducted by telephone.
Older children attend the assessment interview together with their parents. Services available through the HSU Psychology Team may include individual sessions providing specialized psychological treatment, group therapy (for example, Help for Anxious Children), remote therapy (Flikk), consultation sessions, and/or psychoeducation. If a child's difficulties are considered better suited to support from another service provider, the referrer or parents are guided regarding the next steps.
HSU psychologists work closely with other healthcare professionals, municipal specialists, and institutions that provide support and treatment for children's mental health difficulties.
HSU psychologists participate in screening for developmental concerns in children up to three years of age in collaboration with child health services. However, they do not otherwise conduct developmental assessments. Psychologists are also part of HSU's ADHD team, Focus for the Future (Fókus til framtíðar), where they assist in selecting appropriate treatment options and contribute to parent education and guidance.
The HSU Psychology Team provides trauma support for individuals who have experienced recent traumatic events. Referrals may be made by HSU physicians, nurses, paramedics, clergy, police, or municipal social welfare services. Examples of events that may lead to trauma-related reactions include serious accidents, sudden bereavement, and/or violence.
Each case is assessed individually, but the service generally consists of one to five sessions, with guidance provided regarding further support or treatment if needed. New cases involving sexual violence and/or domestic violence are recommended for referral to specialized teams at Landspítali University Hospital.
Mental health professionals within the Psychology Team prioritize requests for trauma support and strive to provide services as quickly as possible. However, they do not provide emergency call-out services and do not attend incident scenes. In the case of major incidents, such as mass-casualty accidents or natural disasters, the Icelandic Red Cross Crisis Response Team is activated.
The Psychology Team also participates in a multidisciplinary trauma consultation group together with municipal welfare services, clergy, and the police.
The Psychology Team provides psychological treatment for adults experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
Services are delivered in accordance with the National Clinical Pathway for Mental Health Services (ÞÁS), which involves a stepped-care approach, outcome monitoring, and standardized treatment procedures.The aim is to provide a comprehensive assessment interview within one month of receiving a referral. During this interview, the individual's difficulties are assessed, and the most appropriate intervention is identified.
Psychologists provide specialized treatment tailored to the nature and severity of the presenting concerns.Expectant mothers and parents of children during their first year of life are given priority access to services.
Psychologists collaborate with midwives and nurses in maternal and infant care.
A representative of the psychological services is part of the interdisciplinary mental health team, and psychologists provide therapy to clients upon referral from a case manager.
Individual and group therapy is offered, and psychologists also participate in joint educational initiatives.
Psychologists at the HSU health centers collaborate with the center's doctors, nurses and midwives. They work in multidisciplinary teams within an organization and with other organizations.
Partnerships are with:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Landspítal,
Social services
School specialist services
The government's analysis and advisory center
Children's Mental Health Center
Child Services
High schools in South Iceland