SATURDAY, JULY 18, 1987
HALF-WAY HOUSE A NECESSARY MEANS TO REINTEGRATION
MRS WELFARE, SOCIAL
ELIZABETH WONG, TODAY
THE DIRECTOR OF (SATURDAY) APPEALED TO THE PUBLIC TO ACCEPT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HALF- DI: PARGED MENTAL PATIENTS REINTEGRATE WAY HOUSES IN ORDER TO HELP WITH SOCIETY.
OF DAY
THE HONG
KONG MENTAL
HEALTH PUBLIC
SPEAKING AT THE OPEN ASSOCIATION'S IRENE HOUSE, THE FIRST HALF-WAY HOUSE SET UP-
THAT BECAUSE OF THEIR LONG PERIOD OF HOUSING ESTATE, SHE NOTED
INTENSIVE AND HOSPITALISATION, A
TRAINING PROGRAMME WAS NEEDED TO HELP MENTAL PATIENTS 10 REINPEGRATE WITH. SOCIETY.
COMPREHENSIVE
AND THE GOVERNMENT HAVE 'FOR MANY YEARS, THE WELFARE SECTOR BEEN WORKING HARD TO DEVELOP HALF-WAY HOUSES WHICH INVOLVES PLANNING MORE PROVISIONS BUT ALSO. ENSURING THAT THE PUBLIC:
30 THAT THE INSTITUTIONS, THE PURPOSE OF HAVING SUCH PATIENTS CAN BE ACCEPTED BY THE SOCIETY AND THEIR PROBLEMS PROPERLY RECOGNISED AND UNDERSTOOD, " SHE SAID,
AND
NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND VISCHARGED NEEDS
LACK THE
OF
HOWEVER, THERE WERE OBSTACLES ON THIS ROAD TO REHABILITATION.
AND PATIENTS. MENTAL "THE RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR PROBLEMS IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE.
"IGNORANCE BREEDS FEAR AND FEAR LEADS TO
REJECTION,. MRS WONG
SAID.
+
"AS A LAYMAN, I BELIEVE THE ABSENCE OF A UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED 'ABNORMAL' SHE ADDED.
MAJOR OBSTACLE ARISES
DEFINITION
OF
FROM 'NORMAL'
THE
AND
DEPENDS ON
THE
OR OTHERWISE "TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, 'NORMAL' SOCIAL VALUES OF THE TIME AND THE CULTURAL BACKGROUND.
'THEIR OWN SEP OF RE-ASSESSING INSTEAD OF "UNFORTUNATELY,
TO. OBJECT ΤΟ THIS VALUES AND CULTURAL INCLINATION MOST PEOPLE TEND
IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD ON REHABILITATION SERVICE BEING CARRIED OUT
THAT THEY THE GROUNDS THAT THE DISCHARGED PATIENTS ARE 'ABNORMAL' OR BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY FROM 'NORMAL' PEOPLE.
HAND, "AS A RESULT, DOUBLE STANDARD APPEARS IN THAT ON THE ONE
THEY SAY THAT IT THEY SUPPORT A CERTAIN PROJECT BUT ON THE OTHER,
MRS WONG SAID. + SHOULD NOT BE CARRIED OUT IN THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD
TH
ANOTHER OBSTACLE CAME FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.
THE LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING
ABOUT
EXPERTS, MENTAL PATIENTS,
THEY
THEY WOULD NOT
MRS WONG SAID THAT AS EXPLAINED BY BE THEY NEUROTIC OR PSYCHOTIC, LIVED IN A WORLD OF THEIR OWN AND NEEDED MEDICAL TREATMENT AND AFTER-CARE SERVICES BUT HARM ANYBODY.
/"THE THIRD,