New Britain herald., 1929-03-06

ASYLUMS OF STATE
NOT LARGE enough
More Beds Needed, Dr.. Leak
Tells Social Workers

mental health is as much q
problem as physical health" stated
DR.. Roy L. Leak. superintendent OF
the Con- "ticut State hospital a,
Middletown, speaking before the So
| cial Workers club at the Y. w. c. "a.
this noon. The speaker outlined the
constructive policy regarding Con-
necticut's mental health problems
which he worked out at the sug-
gestion of the Sc etary of the state
board of finance and control. Ed
ward +. Hall.
DR.. Leak believer that mental
health is as much a medical prob
lem as physical health and that no
new departments are needed to pr
vide proper facilities for improvi-
the mental health Of the state. The
existing mental hygiene division of
the state department of health, with
some necessary increase in staff.
could be equipped to handle the
problem as outlined.
The first and most imperative need
in the state. according to DR.. Leak.
is a sufficient number Of beds for
patients in state Institutions. There
is also a need for new hospital to
care for the mentally i'll and for new
buildings at the Mansfield State
Training school and hospital for the
mentally defective. A hearing on
both these problems is scheduled
to be heard at the state capitol to-
morrow.
The essentially preventive empna-
sis in DR.. Leaks program, however.
is the enlargement of the mental
hygiene division of the state depart
ment of health to include one full
time psychiatrist, one full time psy
biologist and two or three psychia-
trio social workers. The department
would work for the general dissem,
nation of education along mental
hygiene lines and would establish
clinics where they are needed.
DR.. Leak feels that it Is of pri-
mary importance to discover the
mental problems of the younger
people of school age. Through the
clinics. recommendation would be
made after thorough study Of each
retarded child. The speaker was OF
the opinion that clinics established
by the state should not be definitely
continued. After campaign for
popular education along mental hy-
giene lines in a given town, the doc
tor suggested that the state found "A
clinic there and maintain ii long
enough to act as a demonstration.
soliciting the AID of town officials
in operating it. The demonstration
should provide opportunities for
correlating the activities of all inter-
ested social agencies in their mental
health efforts. The responsibility for
providing the necessary social serv-
ice would rest on the town after the
demonstration, and if possible. the
community should provide a psy-
chiatrist for the continuance of the
work of the clinic.
Miss Hester Crutcher, executive
secretary of the Connecticut Society
OF Mental Hygiene, also spoke on
the work Of clinics. She traced back
the history of clinics from its start
in 1914 and gave a brief outline OF
the work accomplished up until
lately.
Miss Crutcher told the gathering
that too many people expect the
clinics to work miracles or perform
wonders Too many use the clinics
as the dumping ground for all their
difficulties The workers in the |
clinics do their uttermost to dis
cover the troubles of the children
brought to them. However. many
Of the parents fail to heed the ad-
vice which is given them by the
clinic workers and then wonder
when their child fails to improve
Immediately they tell others that
he clinics are useless.
According to the ;peaker, the
,linics do all in their power to ap-
1roach and handle the child in the
pest method that is known. The
work OF social workers In the COM
nunity is made more effective
through clinics.
Miss Crutcher brought out many
" the facts used by DR.. Leak in his
ADDRESS. At the end OF the two
peeches, the speakers were accord
d standing vote OF thanks. The
BUSINESS meeting of the club was
,oSfponed until next week