Evening star., 1949-04-20
Nearby Virginia STUDY
Finds Mental Health !
Facilities Inadequate

FuDllC iIlStltutlOuo LII Alchdiioi id
and in Arlington and Fairfax
Counties have failed to give ade-
quate attention to mental health
needs, according to a preliminary
survey made by the Mental Hy-
giene Society Of Northern Vir-
ginia.
The. study, which covers public
schools, courts, welfare agencies,
recreational facilities and mental
hygiene clinics, will be the subject
of a panel discussion at meeting
of the society at $50 pm. tomor-
row in the Arlington Health De-
partment.
DR.. Robert Felix, director of the
National Mental Health Institute.
Public Health Service, will lead
the panel.
DR.. Julius Schneider, Washing
ton psychiatrist who is president
of the society, emphasized that
the findings of the preliminary
survey are tentative and are sub
ject to review by specialists at the
meeting tomorrow.
Programs Inadequate.
Public schools and the courts in
the three areas were classified as
especially inadequate in terms of a
mental health program. School
buildings can not take care of en-
rollment. teaching personnel is
not economically and profession
ally secure. teachers lack training
to meet emotional needs of pupils,
there is little organized instruc-
ton on mental health and the
curriculum. notably in Arling-
tom has not been devised to
elhninats sources of conflict and
maladjustment among students,
according >to the survey.
Further, the report continues
in most schools there are no fa-t
cilities to meet special needs of
retarded. gifted or physically
handicapped children and there
are Inadequate facilities for dag
nostic. counselling and guidance
services although Fairfax County
has a well-developed program in
this area"
Courts lack essential stats and
facilities and are unable to carry
out rehabilitation of offenders be-
cause of a lack of probation OFF,
GERS, trained social workers and
psychologists, the report says.
L Receiving Home Lacking.
"The treatment of juvenile Of
tenders is particularly neglected, :"
there being no receiving home for
them. Those that are committed,
are sent to jails.
A reluctance Of judgestto place
feeble-minded persons In jails has
caused many to remain in homes
and create emotional problems,
the surveyors say.
Although progress has been
made in providing recreational ia
cilities, "the outlets are not suf-
ficient to meet the needs Of the
area" it was found. The need for
Negro facilities Is particularly
acute.
Welfare agencies have recog-
nized mental health problems and
have dealt with them to the extent
of their ability but are limited by
funds available.
Clinics Understaffed.
The report lfoted the establish
ment OF mental hygiene clinics in
Arlington and Alexandria and the
Observation-Disclosures clinic in
Fairfax, as much needed steps. 1t
stressed. however, that the short
age OF funds and staff are so great
that prospective patients at the
clinics must wait four months for
their first interview and six more
months for treatment.
Officials who will discuss the re-
port in relation to their own de-
partments include Trial Justices
Hugh Reid Of Arlington and Harry
Carrico OF Fairfax and Juvenile
Court Judge Marion West of Alex
andria; DR.. Robert Burnfam. Arl-
ington, Leon Lurie. Alexandra,
and Miss Lillian Snyder, Fairfax.
mental hygiene clinics: DR.. Claire
Christnan. Arling ton. James
Bauserman. Fairfax. and Mrs. Dan
Kerbel, Alexandria. school depart
ments: John Howell. Arlington,
Miss Barbara Watkins. Alexan-