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The Community Mental Health Centre (CMHC) of Katerini
applies therapeutic programmes to children, adolescends and adults
who suffer from mental illnesses or show psychological problems.
It provides help to all the people who report mental disabilities
and are affected by a mental illness. At the same time, its professionals
offer advice to the families that need it.
The CMHC of Katerini is a discentralised unit providing
mental health services. It is a branch of the 2nd Provincial Health
System of Central Macedonia, Greece.
The services are offered to:
 Adults
Children
and Adolescents
If you want to participate in the foundation and operation of a
Family Association for Mental Health in Pieria,
Greece, you may contact with:
Community Mental Health Centre of Katerini,
102, 25th Martiou Str., GR-60100-Katerini, Greece.
(+30) 2351 0 78145 e-mail: info@kepsykat.gr
Social Services / Out-patient Clinic,
102, 25th Martiou Str., GR-60100-Katerini, Greece.
(+30) 2351 0 20020 e-mail: hppo@kat.forthnet.gr
The aim
of the operation of the CMHC of Katerini
The aim of the CMHC is to cover the psychososial needs, to promote
the mental health of the Pieria residents (120.000 inhabitants)
and to increase the number of its clients, ie the people who seek
for its services and come there. So, the CMHC tries to keep, maintain
and broaden activities as:
To
evaluate the psychosocial needs of the Pieria residents and compare
the services offered to cover the real needs of these people.
To
become widly-known and accessible to the people of the area.
To
get connected and to cooperate with the existing services of Health,
Welfare, Education, Local Authorities as well as the Church, Cultural
and other Local Services.
The CMHC plays an important role in the activation of the social
policies to help and support the ‘sensitive’ groups of the population
(unemployed, financial immigrants etc) and help them face their
immediate problems relating to housing, work and quality of life.
It also helps to the transfer of psychiatric / psychosocial care
from the Psychiatric Hospital to the Community. The role of the
CMHC is therapeutic, researching and educational.
The operating rules of the CMHC show responsibility for a specific
part of population (people of the region of Pieria), the search
for their needs and the design of services to cover them.
The
therapeutic intervention takes place near the mentally ill person
as soon as possible.
Services
which take care of the special needs of the pepulation are set up
and developed.
There
is a continual, non-stop care for the prevention of the mental disorders
at three stages (primary, secondary and tertiary prevention).
A mental
health counselling service in the Community is developed. It is
closely connected with other social services and health services
in the region of Pieria.
Emphasis
is given on the patients’ rights.
The
offered services by the CMHC are evaluated.
A research
is set up. Psychosocial problems of the people of the region of
Pieria are recorded and ways of intervention and their solution
are designed.
Services
In the CMHC of Katerini, prevention is offered in three stages:
The
aim of the first stage is the prevention of mental disorders, which
means the decrease of the number of the new cases in the Community.
The
second stage is aimed at the reduction of the total duration of
the disturbance and the consequences involving the search for the
cases, their immediate intake, the diagnosis and the therapy.
The
third stage involves the ‘psychosocial rehabilitation’ which is
the limitation of the dysfunctioning due to the chronic mental illness
Work Hours
Weekdays: 08.00- 14.30 only by appointment. The
Child and Adolescent Therapeutic Team offers its services some evening
hours during the week. To make an appointment call: +30
2351 0 78145
The CMHC
Staff
All the professionals who work in the CMHC try their best not only
to just face the mental disorder, but to design, to apply a team
action and a care plan focusing on each patient and his / her family.
So, the basic concern of the CMHC professionals has been transferred
from the disorder in the person to the social dysfunctioning he
/ she may show.
The staff:
1 consultant psychiatrist, Director of the CMHC, 1 staff
psychiatrist,
1 child-psychiatrist, 1 psychologist, 1 social worker, 1 occupational
therapist,
1 health visitor, 1 secretary, 2 caretakers.
Current Activities
Diagnostic
Interview
Individual
psychotherapy
Counselling
Medication
Psychometric
Tests
Psychological
Investigation / Therapy
Psychosocial
support
Helping
the patients find a job / helping them keep it
Creative
occupation, through the Occupational Therapy, for people who suffer
from severe mental and psychosocial disturbances.
Evaluation
of the living conditions in the Community. Improvement of the Quality
of Life of people who show psychosocial impairment.
Cooperation
with other Social Services in Pieria (Welfare, School for children
with special needs, Local Authorities, Juvenile Court, General Hospital).
Evaluation
of Community’s demands connected to mental health.
Information
– Sensitisation of the Community and education of the population
concerning the mental health. Emphasis is given on the ‘fight against
the stigma of the mental illness’ and the discouragement of prejudice
against the mentally ill.
So,
lectures are given, articles are published in the local press, presentations
on radio programmes and group sensitisation meetings are organised.
Informative
lectures to students.
Seminars
to mental health professionals (psychology students, social worker
students, etc).
Research
to define our clients’ profile, their needs and the kind of their
problems.
Discussion
on the cases of the week.
The Child and Adolescent
Therapeutic Team
It offers its services to children and adolescents up to 18 years,
as well as to their families. Over here, someone can ask for help
about a variety of problems:
Psychological
Psychosocial
Learning
disorders
Family
problems
Sentimental
ones,
As
well as problems involving Adolescence.
So, depending on the case, the problems are dealt with:
Individual
psychotherapy
Parents’
counselling
Family
psychotherapy
Medication,
only where necessary.
The professional team consists of:
1
Child-psychiatrist
1 Psychologist
1 Social
worker
The Therapeutic Team offers its services only after an appointment
has been made.
For an appointment call: (+30) 2351 0 78145.
The parents will be asked to give the first pieces of information
concerning the difficulties they face and the issues that trouble
their children.
Scheduled Activities in 2002
Participation
in European Programmes (Equal, Daphne).
Broadening
of prevention Programmes / Community Programmes.
Creation
of a ‘Daily Activities programme’ (Day Centre).
Patients’
Social Club (aimed at chronic psychotic patients).
Inhouse
Nursing
Library
for both the mental health professionals and the public.
Continual
education of the staff.
Visiting
other facilities in Greece and abroad intending to the exchange
of ideas and experiences.
Organised
Rehabilitation Programme (it involves 10 chronic psychotic patients
who take part in the activities of the Occupational Therapy Unit
of the CMHC).
Evaluation
of the services provided.
Management
of a Hostel / Group Home (Protective Accommodation) of ‘Psychargos’,
an E.U. Rehabilitation Programme.
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