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payments and reimbursement of fares to persons attending the day centres. Preparations
were made for taking up a contract for packing a variety of surgical
supplies for the hospital service; it is envisaged that this will provide continuous
interesting and well-paid work for all the centres.
Mental Health Education 1969
Acceptance and understanding of the mentally ill and mentally subnormal person
in the community depends to a large extent upon informing and educating the
public about the problems of mental ill-health and the services which exist to help
in this field.
During the past year there has been an increased demand for talks on the various
aspects of the work of the Mental Health Services from schools, church clubs and
other interested groups within the Borough.
A total of 40 talks have been given by members of the mental health staff throughout
the year:—
1. Seventeen lectures given to schools within the Borough. This includes three
lectures on specific subjects (stress, alcoholism and the use and abuse of drugs),
given as part of the curriculum of a Health Education course at a college of
further education;
2. Eight lectures to church clubs and other groups;
3. Fifteen lectures to groups of visiting students (social workers, health visitors
and nurses).
Mental Health Week 1969
During Mental Health Week the three training centres, two psychiatric day centres
and Honor Lea psychiatric hostel were open to visitors, and there was a good response
to the invitation. Members of the mental health staff played an active part in this
year's symposium arranged by the Lewisham Association for Mental Health and
held at the Deptford Town Hall. The symposium was on "Rehabilitation in the
Community" and it was very well attended.
Students
Social Work.—The mental health section has continued to play a part in the training
of social workers. At the beginning of the year there were two second-year students
from the Chiswick Polytechnic "Certificate in Social Work" course spending three
days per week in the department. These were followed in February, 1969, by two
more students from the same course who stayed until June, the last four weeks of
their stay being full time. From 23rd June two students from the Bedford College
social science course spent four weeks observing the functions of the mental health
section. In September a mature student from the University of London extra-mural
social science course began a full-time placement until December. Two students
from the Chiswick course began a part-time placement in September and were
still in the section at the end of the year. All students, except those on observation
placements, carried a small supervised caseload.
There have been 17 social work students and 6 teacher training course students
on one-day observation placements; also 10 new entrants to the Borough's welfare
services.
Teachers of the Mentally Handicapped.—The Junior Training Centre has accepted
three students from the Chiswick Polytechnic course this year for observation
placement followed by periods of six weeks teaching practice.
Nursing and Health Visitor Students.—Mental health is now becoming an important
part of the student nurse and health visitor's curriculum and the demand for
day observation placements in the mental health section has greatly increased this
year. A total of 20 nursing and health visitor students have visited the section and
their programme has included discussion on the work of the section and visits to
day rehabilitation and training centres and to Honor Lea Hostel.
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