The Voluntary Mental Health Services

The publication of this Report is an event of no small importance in the sphere of Mental Health. The Committee responsible for the Report was formed as the result of a movement for the coordination of the existing voluntary Mental Health Services. For several years there have been in existence a number of separate organisations dealing with various aspects of Mental Health work, the chief of these being the Central Association for Mental Welfare, the Mental After-Care Association, the National Council for Mental Hygiene, the Child Guidance Council and the Home and School Council. It has gradually been realised that while, for a time, such separation may give scope for initiative and exploration in a variety of directions, there comes the stage when overlapping with consequent waste of effort, makes it desirable, even imperative, to coordinate activities. The terms of reference of the Committee were :? " To consider the scope and activities of the law affecting existing voluntary organisations rendering Mental Health Services, and to report on the possibility of increasing their usefulness to the community, particularly in relation to: (1) Their cooperation with Government Departments, Local Authorities and other bodies interested in Mental Health work. (2) The coordination of their activities. (3) The extension of the services rendered by them." The Committee carried out its task in a very thorough manner. A comprehensive and searching questionnaire was issued to Government Departments , Local Authorities, Voluntary Associations and private persons connected in any way, however slight, with Mental Health work in its varied aspects. The task of arranging, analysing and summarising the replies was undertaken by a member of the Committee, Dr. J. M. Mackintosh, now Chief Medical Officer of the Scottish Health Department. In this way, there has been collected a large amount of valuable information relating to the treatment of mental disorders (in the widest sense) in different parts of the country ?information which has enabled the Committee to discover the many existing gaps and weaknesses, and to make concrete suggestions for the improvement