Hostels for Children in Need of Psychiatric Attention

During the past few months the Provisional National Council for Mental Health has had under consideration the question of the provision of hostel Accommodation in postwar planning for children ln need of psychiatric attention. The main results ?f these considerations are outlined below:? The Need for and Function of the Hostels While it is accepted that, as a general rule, Psychiatric investigation and treatment of children should be carried on while the children are resident ln their own homes, a certain proportion of such cases cannot so be dealt with, e.g. where the home conditions are grossly unsuitable, where distance from a clinic militates against treatment, etc., etc. Foster home placement might provide a solution for some of these cases, but, in view of the often seriously disturbing behaviour of the children, this cannot always be found. For the same reason, and because of the particular needs in the handling the children themselves, they do not fit into a hostel or home for normal children. It seems inevitable, therefore, that all Authorities planning for the psychiatric treatment of children under their care, must also plan some provision for residence in special hostels during treatment for a Proportion of these children. The function of these special hostels would therefore be to provide care and a suitable environment for the full development of a child who, for his own welfare, has to" be removed for a period his own home or his normal place of residence. Either some problem in the child or factors in his environment may make this transfer advisable. far as is possible the hostel should provide normal family conditions, the child should go out to school, mix with other children and be prepared to take his place in the community. He should be discharged when he is fit to return to life in the community. It is clear that the Authority or Authorities Responsible for the setting up of such a hostel must nave full administrative control, but, owing to its specialized nature, it appears essential that arrangements should be made whereby all admissions and discharges should be directly recommended by the psychiatrist to whom the case is referred for investigation or who is conducting treatment. Furthermore , opportunity for consultation and discussions between the staff of the hostel and that of the clinic conducting treatment should be made readily available. The Committee felt strongly that no attempt …