Mental health workshop

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 4

Mental health workshop

A two-day national workshop on community mental ’ health which ended in ■ Christchurch yesterday has been called a “breakthrough” jby the organisers. The workshop was the first time that professionals, voluntary groups, State agencies, and community self-help groups had come together to discuss the problems of personality disorders and related community mental health problems.

“In the past the professionals tended to go to the voluntary agencies and selfhelp groups and talk as the ’experts.’ Now largely as a result of this workshop, the professonals are learning to respect the unique contribution that the voluntary agencies and self-help groups have to make and the skills they can teach,” said Mr Maurice Goodall, who is community health adviser, to the North Canterbury Hospital Board.

More than 60 State and voluntary agencies and selfhelp and community mental | health groups were repre-l

sented at the workshop, which was attended by 150 people. It was clear from this workshop that no agency or individual therapist could cope alone with people experiencing disordered lives in our society,” Mr Goodall said.

Many participants had referred to an urgent need for easily accessible psychiatric support for community mental health groups. Greater liaison and co-ordination was urgently needed between mental health professionals and those who gave community care, he said.

“There is also a need for greater professionalism in the planning of the delivery of mental health services." Mr Goodall commended the work of the health planning and research unit in Christchurch, which had paved the way for better planning of community health in the city.

“A professional approach to planning is urgently needed in the national health I services,” he said.