XN000022-1987-07-18 — Page 2

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,