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MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
Mr. D0T. Baldwin
Principal Mental Welfare Officer
For the first time since the creation of the new borough in 19&5. the
total referrals to the mental health service has shown a decrease. The
total referrals from all services amounted to 1,268 as against 1,447 in
1967, a decrease of 12.4$. Whilst this reduction in numbers is common to
all sources of referral, it is most noticeable in the case of referrals
from hospital out-patient departments which showed a decrease of 4$ on the
preceding year. This state of affairs can probably be attributed to the
intensive community care which the mental health social workers are now
able to give, it having been noted that where a patient relapses, it is
often possible for re-admission to hospital to be avoided. Where readmission
is necessary, it is usually effected by mutual arrangement
between social worker, client and hospital on an informal basis, and
rarely as an emergency.
STAFF.
The staff was unchanged from the previous year, namely, principal
mental welfare officer, assistant principal, seven senior mental welfare
officers/social workers, three mental welfare officers/social workers
and two trainee social workers. One mental welfare officer is completing
a two-year course for the Certificate in Social Work at the Sheffield
College of Technology and will return to the department in July, 1969.
During the year under review,, three members of the staff attended,
on a day release basis, short courses and seminars arranged by the
London Boroughs' Training Committee. In addition, a senior mental
welfare officer took part in a week's course in clinical psychiatry
organised by Bristol Mental Health Department in conjunction with the
University of Bristol. As in the past two years, a student from Bedford
College of the University of London spent one month in the department
for the purpose of obtaining practical experience in connection with her
course for the Diploma in Social Studies.
Student nurses from local hospitals have come to the department on
visits of observation of our work, and there has also been a system of
interchange, for weekly periods, of trainees between the Mental Health
and Welfare sections.
PSYCHIATRIC DAY CENTRE.
This centre continues to function satisfactorily and has an
average daily attendance of 19.4 persons. The main activity continues
to be 'light industrial work, which is varied by talks given by
representatives of outside agencies, occasional visits to places of
interest, etc. For three months, the centre enjoyed the services on
one half-day per week of a Drama Therapist from the North Kensington
Evening Institute. This activity was found to be extremely useful in
encouraging the self-expression of patients who, by the nature of
their illness, are usually introspective and self-centred.