Social worker and family therapist Svanhildur Inga Ólafsdóttir is the team leader of the mental health team at the Health Institute of South Iceland (HSU). Our interviewee was born in the Vestmannaeyjar Islands in 1979 and lived there for her first 10 years, but then moved to Selfoss, where she has lived for quite some time since. As a social worker, Svanhildur previously worked in child welfare and vocational rehabilitation and then ran her own business for several years before being appointed team leader of the HSU mental health team in August 2019.

TRUST AND RESPECT ABOVE ALL
What is the composition and number of staff in the Mental Health Team? "The team here in Selfoss consists of eight employees and we also work closely with other teams and departments within HSU. The team has diverse expertise; all staff have built on their basic education and specialized in different areas. I am proud of the group of employees I work with. At HSU's mental health team, trust and respect are paramount."

AMAZING CANTEEN
What is the best thing about the workplace? "I look forward to coming to work every day because I work with people who have a sense of humor, work well and closely together, care about each other, are solution-oriented, and are willing to think outside the box. I consider it a privilege to work in a workplace like HSU where you can grow and develop in your profession. And the canteen is also amazing and always has good food which promotes job satisfaction!"

A MANAGER WITH TWO HATS
We are curious about Svanhildur's work. "I wear several hats, so to speak. As a team leader, I am responsible for the team's operations, and human resources, promoting development, organization, and reviewing procedures. I have a unique group of professionals on the team who I consider a privilege to work with. The team's staff is open-minded and solution-oriented, and we work together to provide a variety of services. Another hat is being a case manager whose role is to manage the treatment plans of clients in the team and provide treatment and group resources. A lot of time is also spent in all kinds of meetings regarding collaboration, decisions, projects, and development.”

GROWING SERVICE NEEDS
"The mental health team is defined as a 2nd level short-term mental rehabilitation for individuals with a diagnosed mental illness, who need multidisciplinary services. The team was founded in the fall of 2019 and the scope of projects has grown significantly in the five years we have been working. Our projects are extremely numerous and diverse. Mental health issues have been widely discussed in recent years and of course, we acknowledge the concerns that are raised regarding waiting for services. But this is often a very complex problem and it is important to work carefully and find solutions with individuals that aim for their recovery and better quality of life. Collaboration with other systems or other resources is also an important task, as is working with individuals holistically.”

CONSTANT DEVELOPMENT
Is there anything new on the horizon at work? "The team is constantly developing and we want the service to change in line with the needs of the individuals who use the service. We look optimistically to the future and believe that the team’s housing options will improve and that we will have the opportunity to expand and strengthen our service. We have high expectations for the expansion of the team to be able to implement the service in a way that shortens waiting lists. We want to strengthen the treatment options we already have to offer and the vision for the future is for HSU to be an excellent provider of mental health services.”

THE EDUCATIONAL PATH
We ask Svanhildur about her educational path. "I finished primary school in Selfoss but then took a break from studying for an unnecessarily long time. With encouragement and support from my family, I then completed my matriculation examination from Fjölbrautskóli Suðurlands and studied social work at Borgarholtskóli before studying social work at the University of Iceland. Two years after completing my master's degree in social work, I added two years of family studies, as well as learning mediation and EMDR trauma therapy, which I emphasize maintaining through continuous education and retraining.”

A BURNING INTEREST IN PEOPLE
Why did you choose this career? "The work of a social worker is diverse and fun and touches on many aspects of working with individuals. I think my burning interest in people led me to choose this field of work. I find each person's story interesting and am grateful to all those who have trusted me to work with them.”

A FRIENDLY GROUP OF PEOPLE
Were there any influences or factors that made you choose this path? "Perhaps my group of friends influenced me during my teenage years, we had many confidential conversations and tried to support each other. I would say that my work today is somewhat similar to such conversations, where clients confide in you about their most difficult feelings and difficulties, and we then try together to find ways to improve their well-being.”

CHAIRMAN OF THE ÁRNESSÝSLA CANCER SOCIETY
How are family life and life outside of work? "I am married to Ölver Jónsson, an airline pilot, and we have five children, a dog, and a parrot. For the past six years, I have served as the chairman of the Árnessysla Cancer Society, where I enjoy building services in my local community along with a strong board and volunteers who contribute to the work. I also exercise and spend time with my family. We enjoy traveling abroad, going camping, and staying in a summer house.”