Director of Lækjarbakka rehabilitation center in Iceland seeks housing amid local reluctance for youth treatment services

The director of the Lækjarbakka rehabilitation center is urgently searching for suitable housing for the facility, as there seems to be a local reluctance to have youth treatment services nearby. Rebekka Líf Ingadóttir, who leads the center, states that while the community acknowledges the need for such services, they prefer not to have them within close proximity.

Lækjarbakka caters to adolescents aged fourteen to eighteen who are dealing with severe behavioral issues when other interventions have failed. According to Ingadóttir, there is a palpable fear among the public regarding these young individuals, which she attributes to a lack of understanding and familiarity with the challenges they face. Despite these concerns, she maintains that, overall, the center functions well, with incidents being rare and largely limited to police presence in the area.

The challenge remains to find a suitable location for the center, as prospective sites tend to be remote, lacking essential services, making recruitment of knowledgeable staff difficult. Ingadóttir questions where the youths should reside, emphasizing that society cannot afford to disregard those facing challenges without providing space or support.

Holding onto optimism, she expresses hope that a fitting solution will be identified. “I’ve remained hopeful that something will change,” she says, noting that while there have been promising discussions, obstacles continue to arise in securing the necessary accommodations for the facility.