View report page

83
PART 5
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE
The year 1967 saw a substantial increase in the number of
patients referred to the Mental Health Section of the Department.
The service continued to expand and we have been able to achieve
a marked increase in the number of professionally trained social
workers. The reputation of the Department is consequently attracting
highly skilled staff, and this, together with the casework consultation
offered to all the social workers, is constantly raising the
standard of help offered to the community.
An increase in the number of staff in the Training School and
Training Centres has made it possible to widen the teaching programme,
and two trainee teachers have also been appointed.
A very successful Mental Health Week, run in conjunction with
the Boroughs of Lambeth and Merton. drew the attention of the
community to the problems of mental disorder, to the services
provided to help the mentally ill and mentally handicapped, and
to the ways in which the community itself—family, neighbours,
friends, employers—can contribute to the rehabilitation of the
patient. Several voluntary bodies and individual people expressed
interest in this work, and already volunteers have made a valuable
contribution by helping in clubs, escorting patients to hospital and
in other ways. In addition, a Steering Committee has been formed
to look into the development of voluntary effort in the mental
health field in the Borough.
STATUTORY DUTIES UNDER
MENTAL HEALTH ACT, 1959
As the statistics show, admissions of patients to hospital under
the Act continue to be numerous and make heavy demands on the
service, although the continuous co-operation of hospitals in offering
beds is very helpful to the mental health social workers in