SUNDAY, MAY 6, 1984
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ONE IMPORTANT ASPECT IS THE GREATER USE OF HALF-WAY HOUSES WHICH WOULD PREPARE DISCHARGED PATIENTS FOR FULL RETURN TO THE COMMUNITY,
AT PRESENT THERE ARE 250 PLACES IN HALF-WAY HOUSES, OF WHICH 30 PLACES ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR DISCHARGED PRISONERS WITH A HISTORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS.
HOWEVER NONE OF THESE FACILITIES IS DESIGNED OR STAFFED TO THE STANDARDS CONSIDERED NECESSARY BY THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE AFTER-CARE OF CONDITIONALLY DISCHARGED PATIENTS.
STAFF STANDARDS ARE NOW BEING DEVELOPED FOR SPECIAL HALF-WAY HOUSES AS WELL AS FOR THE EXISTING TYPE OF HALF-WAY HOUSES TO ENABLE MORE WIDESPREAD INTEGRATION OF TARGET GROUP PATIENTS IN THEM.
+PLANS HAVE BEEN PREPARED, IN CONSULTATION WITH VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, FOR 19 NEW PROJECTS THAT WILL PROVIDE A TOTAL OF 1 200 ADDITIONAL PLACES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, INCLUDING 160 PLACES SUITABLE FOR CONDITIONALLY DISCHARGED PATIENTS. THE FIRST OF THESE SPECIAL PROJECTS WILL BE READY SHORTLY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
FURTHERMORE, ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO EXPAND THE COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC NURSING SERVICE ON A REGIONAL BASIS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WORKING GROUP'S RECOMMENDATION.
THE FIRST STEP HAS BEEN TO DEVELOP LOCAL TRAINING FACILITIES FOR COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC NURSES.
THE FIRST SUCH COURSE, ON AN IN-SERVICE AND DAY-RELEASE BASIS, STARTED LAST MONTH IN KWAI CHUNG HOSPITAL.
A LIMITED REGIONAL SERVICE IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN ABOUT A YEAR'S TIME.
WHICH
COMMUNITY PSYCHIATRIC NURSES FROM KWAI CHUNG HOSPITAL, SET UP ITS COMMUNITY NURSING UNIT IN APRIL 1982, HAVE MAINTAINED CONTACT WITH DISCHARGED PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY HAVE PROVIDED HELP IN ASSESSING THE MENTAL STATES OF PATIENTS AND ADMINISTERED TREATMENT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PSYCHIATRISTS.
IN ADDITION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, HELP IS AVAILABLE TO DISCHARGED PATIENTS WHO MAY HAVE HOUSING OR EMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS.
A COMMUNITY WORK AND AFTER-CARE UNIT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE AT CASTLE PEAK HOSPITAL SINCE 1978 AND SIMILAR UNITS HAVE BEEN SET UP AT KWAI CHUNG, KOWLOON, AND LAI CHI KOK HOSPITALS.
STAFF FROM THESE UNITS ALSO VISIT DISCHARGED PATIENTS AND MONITOR THEIR RECOVERY.
IN THEIR REPORT, THE WORK ING GROUP RECOGNISED THE KEY ROLE PLAYED BY MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKERS AND RECOMMENDED A REDUCTION IN THE IR CASELOAD IF THEY WERE TO SUPERVISE TARGET GROUP PATIENTS.
/THE SOCIAL