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term hostels, and this Borough continues to use the following Associations who have a realistic
approach to the problem of the long-term patient.
Mental After Care Association
S.O.S. Society
Richmond Fellowship
Jewish Welfare Board
Day Centre for the Mentally III
There are many services that are lacking for the young mentally ill the most important of which
is Day Centre/Workshop facilities, and until such time as the financial position improves, the longterm
planning for these establishments is necessarily curtailed. Those patients most urgently in
need of this type of rehabilitation at the present time attend Day Centres through the courtesy of
the London Boroughs of Willesden and Camden.
Some Other Aspects of the Mental Health Services
Drug Dependency
This problem has received a good deal of publicity during the year; as far as this Department is
concerned an essentially cautious approach has been adopted. So far the problem in this area does
not seem to have reached too grave proportions, but since we are in close proximity to the centre of
London it is easy for people to go into town to obtain drugs and to carry on activities associated
with drug taking in an area away from their homes. Secondly it is possible for drug-takers to appear
transiently in the Borough and then move on quite rapidly as soon as an interest is taken in them.
In the past two years about 10 cases of heroin addiction have been personally known to the
Department. The incidence of other drug-taking is not known although there has been considerable
evidence that trafficking in and experimentation with L.S.D. and Indian Hemp has been going on in
certain parts of the Borough. Requests for information have come from two main sources; firstly
through the Education Department from Head Teachers and Principals of the Further Education
Colleges and secondly from Youth Groups or adults who are running Youth Groups. Two "Teach-ins"
were arranged for the Education Department, one for Heads of Secondary Schools and Principals of
the Colleges of Education, which took place in October, and the second for representatives of the
Common Rooms which took place in November. Each of these meetings was addressed by a Consultant
Psychiatrist, by the Chief Inspector of Drugs at the Home Office and by a Senior Police
Officer from the Drug Squad at New Scotland Yard.
Experimental group meetings were held with young people at one of the Further Education
Colleges and it is hoped to expand this work. The Principal Medical Officer (Mental Health) Dr.
R.C. Greenberg met with a number of Youth Groups and other organisations to discuss with them the
social effects of drugs and gain some understanding of the attitudes of young people themselves so
as to discover the most efficient method of checking the present epidemic and preventing further
spread. Information gained in this way was passed on to the Ministry of Health and the Department
of Education and Science so that it could be used in preparing advice on this problem that both
Government Departments intend to issue in the near future.
Mental Health V/eek 1967
Mental Health Week, 5th to 11th June, 1967 was the second of three such weeks organised by
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