The national rehabilitation system consists of social, occupational and medical rehabilitation.
Social rehabilitation and occupational rehabilitation services cannot be provided simultaneously.
Social rehabilitation
Social rehabilitation is aimed at all disabled people and people with partial or no work ability who need assistance in everyday life to cope with limitations arising from their disability or special needs. The purpose of this rehabilitation is to teach and develop a person’s everyday skills, increase their possibilities to take part in social life, support learning and develop preconditions for acquiring or restoring work ability at a certain level. Social rehabilitation is a complex service, meaning that a person has several problems which cannot be solved by single services (e.g. support person, medical rehabilitation) and which require the involvement of different specialists (rehabilitation team). The social rehabilitation service is organised by the Social Insurance Board.
The social rehabilitation service can be applied for by:
- Children under 16 years of age for whom a degree of severity of disability has been determined (moderate, severe or profound disability);
- Children under 18 years of age whom the local government has declared to be a child in need of assistance for the purposes of the Child Protection Act and assessed to be in need of referral to social rehabilitation. A child in need of assistance need not be established to have a disability;
- Persons of working age (16 years of age to pensionable age) with a disability or percentage of loss of capacity for work or category of disability or partial work ability who do not work or study and who are not registered as unemployed and whose need for the social rehabilitation service has been identified by the Social Insurance Board;
- Persons of working age with no work ability whose need for the social rehabilitation service has been identified by the Social Insurance Board;
- Persons of working age with a disability who are paid an early retirement pension or an allowance of a rescue servant waiting for old-age pension whose need for the social rehabilitation service has been identified by the Social Insurance Board;
- Persons of pensionable age with a disability whose need for the social rehabilitation service has been identified by the Social Insurance Board.
How to apply for the social rehabilitation service?
Electonically can you submit an application via the the State Portal eesti.ee.
An application (in Estonian) can be also submitted by the person applying for the service or their legal representative:
- by e-mail, if digitally signed, to [email protected];
- by regular mail, if signed, to a to the address Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn
- at a regional customer service office of the Social Insurance Board.
More information about the social rehabilitation service and applying for service is available on the Social Insurance Board’s website.
If you have any questions about social rehabilitation, call the information line of the Social Insurance Board at 16106 or (+372) 612 1360 or write an e-mail to [email protected].
Work rehabilitation
Work rehabilitation is meant for persons who encounter obstacles due to a disability or an illness and therefore need assistance from specialists on the rehabilitation team to commence employment or continue working. The Unemployment Insurance Fund provides work rehabilitation.
Work rehabilitation may be needed in order to obtain assistance in finding a job suitable for your health or to learn to perform your duties better. In addition, work rehabilitation can assist in improving mobility skills or speech, learning to use assistive equipment or dealing with psychological problems.
Work rehabilitation may include the following activities:
- physiotherapy,
- occupational therapy and counselling,
- creative art therapy,
- speech therapy,
- help of a special needs educator,
- peer counselling,
- psychological counselling,
- nursing counselling,
- social counselling,
- counselling by a doctor (including a psychiatrist).
Work rehabilitation activities take place individually or in a group depending on your needs.
The rehabilitation service is provided by registered service providers who are licensed by the Social Insurance Board and amongst whom you may select a service provider suitable for you. Once you have agreed with a case manager on your participation in the service, you must register within seven days.
How does the service work?
- A case manager from the Unemployment Insurance Fund assesses your service needs;
- You and the case manager agree on the purpose of the rehabilitation;
- You select a suitable rehabilitation institution;
- You arrange a meeting with the service provider to prepare an action plan or participate in the rehabilitation programme;
- The Unemployment Insurance Fund confirms the action plan;
- You start participating in the rehabilitation service.
If you are employed but need support to continue working due to decreased work ability, contact an office of the Unemployment Insurance Fund and make an appointment with a case manager.
If necessary, you will be paid travel and accommodation benefits to participate in the rehabilitation service, regardless of whether you are registered as unemployed.
Read more about work rehabilitation from the website of the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
If you have any questions about work rehabilitation, call the information line of the Unemployment Insurance Fund at 777 3000 (when calling from abroad, dial +372 777 3000), contact us in Skype (tootukassa), or write an e-mail to [email protected].
Medical rehabilitation
To receive medical rehabilitation or other health care services and sanatorium treatment, contact your family physician or a medical specialist.
Forms
References
Services
- Applications I have submitted to the Social Insurance Board
- Applying for rehabilitation service
- Applying for special care service