The population of North Savo is among the most ill at the national level with the help of indices describing the state of health and well-being. Especially with regard to mental health and substance abuse, the situation in Northern Savo is extremely worrying. In Northern Savo, the age-standardised mental health index describing the mental health of the population is significantly higher than the value of the whole country, 161, with the average of the country 100. Mental health reasons have also become the most common cause of sick leave in the working age population. In addition to this, problems related to the use of intoxicants as well as addictiveness have become more common in Northern Savo. The goal of the project is to change the unfavourable direction of well-being development through broad-based cooperation, emphasising preventive and effective measures with a long-term project package. The project aims to strengthen the mental well-being and mental health of the inhabitants of the province of North Savo, especially those in disadvantaged groups, inactive and unemployed, and to reduce the use of drugs. The focus of the implementation activities is on developing and supporting the permanent structures of the municipalities in Northern Savo, strengthening networks and working together with residents. The project will strengthen and support the well-being work of municipalities, the third sector and companies in a comprehensive manner. Residents will be recruited as development planners, operators and experience experts at all stages of the project. The target group of the project is the non-active North Savo people in particular, but the measures also target working-age people in northern Savo more broadly. The activities of the project are started with the initial surveys of residents, where, for each municipality, cross-administrative cooperation examines the state of health and well-being in each area, the strengths of the operating models targeted on these areas and the areas for development. The project provides municipalities with support in mental health management and competence. The project implements multi-level and multi-channel communication and interaction using the working methods of social marketing, which significantly supports the transformation of structures and networks that promote mental health and substance abuse. The two-year-long Hymiö project is the beginning of a longer-term provincial development programme, which will be implemented over the next 10 years. The City of Kuopio is responsible for managing, coordinating, implementing the operating models to be implemented in the municipalities and communicating with the City of Kuopio. The participants are the University of Eastern Finland, which is responsible for the project’s knowledge-based assessment of the impact of management and operating models, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, which is responsible for the implementation of trainings and support for the implementation of effective lifestyle guidance models and the Humanities University of Applied Sciences, which is responsible for the themes related to organisational cooperation and inclusion. A large number of other actors are also involved in the implementation of the project: 17 municipalities of North Savo, regional educational institutions, third sector, companies and, above all, residents. The first phase (2 years) results During the first phase of the development programme, the challenges faced by the municipalities involved in the project in Northern Savo have been identified and analysed and the operational models identified as effective have been used to address them. The trainings carried out in the project have increased the mental health skills and know-how of the people of North Savo, the substance-freeness, as well as the ability of North Savonians to change in order to promote mental health and mental well-being through communication. During the project, professionals from municipalities and other organisations have been trained in the field of mental health management. In the implementation of the project, the expertise of the third sector and companies has been utilised, and cooperation between the various actors has been intensified and the welfare work of municipalities, the third sector and companies has been strengthened. The main result of the first phase of the project is the operational models developed and tested in cooperation between the project actors and residents, which will guide the activities over the next few years.