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Vol. 11, No. 2 Wednesday, January 14, 1981 24 Pages Major thrust of committee recommendation hityPsychiatricshould shift ,-some of jit's role t the community By MICHAEL KNELL Free Press Staff The planning and priorities advisory commit- tee of the Durham Region District Health Council has recommended that there be a gradual shifting in the role of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital. The committee, which has been working on the report for about a year, list 11 recommendations for im- proving mental health ser- vices in the hospital's catechment area. The report which will be submitted to Ontario Ministry of Health Dennis Timbrell urges the establishment of more community based programs. In his covering letter to Timbrell, health council chairman Howard Hall said that, "We want to encourage more mental health programs in the local com- munity where the patient can be supported by his family and friends." To do this," he continued, "we have to encourage public hospitals....to expand their services and create crisis intervention and con- sultation services at some of the smaller hospitals." Another major recom- mendation of the report is the establishment of a com- munity board for the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital like the boards that administer most general hospitals. Whitby Regional Coun- cillor Tom Edwards, a member of both the health council and the committee, said that the report con- tained "a valuable set of recommendations." "There is no question, in my mind, that these recommendations will be of great value in the future," he said giving great praised to the work of the chairman of the committee, Marion O'Donnell of Whitby. Edwards is confident that the report will have a major impact on the mental health care services in the region. "The main impact is provided that if the Gover- nment of Ontario makes all the necessary funds and facilities available, we can deal with the problem of mental illness from a dif- ferent perspective." One of the major goals of the report is lesson the dependance on instituation care for the mentally ill, however, this is dependant on getting communtity sup- port. "We can amount reduce the of in- stitutionalization and have an even more effective men- tal health service if the community became more heavily involved," Edwards said. "Many situations which are currently handled in an institution can be dealt with on a community basis in a crisis centre," he added. The establishment of crisis centres and con- sultation services is one of the report's recommen- dations. However, Edwards focused on three areas that are lacking in the present mental health care service. "There are no facilities for the care of children (pre- adolescent) with psychiatric problems," Edwards said. Two other areas that are in need of more attention are aftercare and drug and alcohol abuse programs, he said. Edwards also. claimed that the problems stem from a lack of sufficient funding from the province. "Much of these needs exist because of insufficient fun- ding," he said. In a written statement ac- companying the report, en- titled "Direction for the Decade," it said that "em- phasis is placed on the development of community- based services for the emotionally disturbed, as Two Oshawa men were in- according to a Durham- plain Ave. ,olved in a collision Friday Regional Police spokesman, The driver of the truck, et the corner of thicksons when his 1974 Green Hornet Kevin Saunders, was Road and Champlain apparently ran a red light unharmed in the accident. ,venue. - travelling south on "It the truck) started to Douglas Goertzen, of 607 Thicksons Road and hît a roll and 1 saw the traffic pole pinewood in Oshawa, Ruddy Electric truck, and 1 knew it was gone," sustained major injuries, travelling east on Cham- said Saunders. I'm just much as possible, in their local communities rather than treatment a t Whitby." "The hospital would, over the next ten years, become a specialized facility providing care for long-term patients and those requiring a secure setting. At the same time, hospital staff would be deployed in com- munity contexts to en- courage the development and staff crisis intervention lucky I didn't roll." The car sustained $3500 damage while the truck received $1,500 damage. A traffic standard was knocked over by the skid- ding truck causîng $1500 damage. centres and counselling ser- vices." The report cost $35,000 to prepare and was submitted to aid in the plans for the recOnstruction of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital which is due to begin sometime in 1982. The committee also recommended that the hosp- ital form a broadly-based planning committee to find ways to meet future needs. -Free Prèss Photo by Stephen Greenaway v.-. 4, 4n mm*$ % The accident is still under investigation. Above the damage caused by the accident can be seen while police search through the car for identification of the driver. $5,000 in total damages. 77