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GREATER CO-ORDINATION AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO INTEGRATE MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS
THE
GREATER CO-ORDINATION AND MORE SYSTEMATIC COMMUNICATION IS ONLY EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WAY OF ENSURING THAT MENTALLY ILL PATIENTS ARE INTEGRATED IN THE MAIN STREAM OF SOCIETY, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, MRS ROSE GOODSTADT, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG AT THE HONG KONG CLUB, MRS GOODSTADT NOTED THAT PROBLEMS OF MANY MENTALLY ILI. PERSONS REST ON HOUSING ÅND
EMPLOYMENT.
"IN ADDITION TO HALF-WAY HOUSES, THERE IS A NEED ΤΟ THINK IN TERMS OF SUPERVISED AND SUPPORTED HOUSING, DOMICILIARY SERVICES, RESPITE CARE, AS WELL AS WORK-BASED ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT," SHR ADDED.
IDEALLY, SHE POINTED OUT THAT EACH PATIENT IN THE REHABILITATION PROCESS SHOULD HAVE A PLANNED PROGRAMME, WITH PROGRESS REGULARLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY MONITORED BY A TEAM CONSISTING OF PSYCHIATRIST, COMMUNITY NURSES, DOMICILIARY THERAPISTS, PLACEMENT OFFICERS, HALF-WAY HOUSE STAFF, MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKERS, AND FAMILY CASEWORKERS.
AT PRESENT, BITS OF THIS CHAIN OF SERVICES WERE ALREADY AVAILABLE BUT THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED NOT ONLY FOR SERVICES ΤΟ BE EXPANDED BUT FOR GREATER CO-ORDINATION, SHE CONTINUED.
IN THE WHOLE RANGE OF REHABILITATION SERVICES, MRS GOODSTADT NOTED THAT SERVICES FOR THE MENTALLY ILL LAG BEHIND IN BOTH SCOPE AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES DESPITE EFFORTS OF PROFESSIONALS.
SHE SAID UP TILL 1982, SERVICES FOR THIS VERY LARGE GROUP OF PERSONS, ESTIMATED AT SEVERAL TENS OF THOUSAND, INVOLVED ONLY THREE HALF-WAY HOUSES AND TWO SOCIAL CENTRES.
"FORTUNATELY, A LOT MORE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MÅDE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, THANKS TO THE SPECIAL EFFORTS OF THE PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD, SHE ADDED.
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MRS GOODSTADT, IN CONCLUSION, EXTENDED HER APPRECIATION TO MEMBERS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG FOR THEIR EFFORTS THEY HAD PUT INTO PROMOTING AND PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
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