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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1987
IT WAS ALSO RECOGNISED THAT A "NETWORK OF CARE" SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY A WIDE RANGE OF PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING PSYCHIATRISTS PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND NURSES, SHE ADDED.
AS REGARDS WELFARE PROVISION FOR COMMUNITY CARE, MRS WONG SAID THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED RESOURCES FOR SHELTERED WORKSHOPS, ACTIVITY CENTRES, HOSTELS AND HALF-WAY HOUSES.
"APART FROM SUCH TANGIBLE SERVICES, ANOTHER IMPORTANT ELEMENT IS THE GOODWILL OF THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP AND SUSTAIN ITS MENTALLY ILL MEMBERS IN ITS MIDST.
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'IN THIS ASPECT, COMMUNITY EDUCATION IS MOST IMPORTANT IN HELPING PEOPLE TO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE MENTALLY ILL, SHE SAID.
REFERRING TO THE COMMON PREJUDICE OF ASSOCIATING THE MENTALLY ILL WITH UNPREDICTABLE VIOLENT ASSAULTS, SHE SAID THAT IT SHOULD BE EMPHASISED THAT POTENTIAL DANGER WAS PRESENTED NOT BY HALF-WAY HOUSE RESIDENTS BUT BY THOSE WITHOUT SUFFICIENT CARE AND SUPPORT AND THAT MENTAL ILLNESS WAS TREATABLE IN THE SAME WAY AS PHYSICAL ILLNESS.
ON HALF-WAY HOUSES, MRS WONG SAID THAT THEY PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE REHABILITATION OF DISCHARGED MENTAL PATIENTS, IN HELPING TO BRIDGE THE GAP DURING THAT DIFFICULT PERIOD OF TRANSITION FROM THE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT OF THE MENTAL HOSPITAL THE MORE DEMANDING LIFE OF THE OPEN COMMUNITY.
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"THIS THERAPEUTIC APPROACH FOR THE CARE OF THE MENTALLY HAS BEEN WIDELY PRACTISED IN ALL ADVANCED COUNTRIES AND HAS PROVED BE A MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF BRINGING ABOUT RE-INTEGRATION OF THE MENTALLY ILL INTO THE COMMUNITY WHICH 15 THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF REHABILITATION," SHE SAID.
SHE NOTED THAT THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES PROMOTED ON A DISTRICT BASIS, THERE WAS A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE MENTALLY ILL AND A GREATER UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THEM.
SHE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS ALSO AN IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE OF THE RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP OF HONG KONG TO MAINTAIN A CLOSE LINK WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND EVERY EFFORT WOULD BE MADE TO INVOLVE PARTICIPATION IN PROVIDING IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICES.
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THE RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP OF HONG KONG IS A VOLUNTARY AGENCY UP IN 1984 TO PROMOTE THE CONCEPT OF THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES, APART FROM PROVISION OF TRANSITIONAL CARE ENCOMPASSES BOTH PREVENTIVE CARE AND CONTINUED SUPPORT.
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