Taupo Clergy man Attends Course In Mental Health

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 39, 20 May 1965, Page 2

Taupo Clergy man Attends Course In Mental Health

For three days last week a course for clergy dealing with mental health was held at Tokanui Hospital and attended by about 100 clergy from all major protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Chnrch. The Rev. I. H. Robertson of Taupo, was among those who attended. Although similar courses had previously been held in other centres by the Division of Mental Health of the Department of Health, this was the first of such conferences to be held on a large scale, drawing as it did clergy from all parts of the area served by Tokanui Hospital. Among the speakers were Dr. H. R. Bennett, medical superintendent of Tokanui Hospital, Dr. J. Hall, deputy director, Division of Mental Health, Father D. Jillet, visiting chaplain to Oakley Hospital, and Rev. H. Taylor, full-time chaplain at Tokanui Hospital. The course gave the clergy an overall picture of what is known about mental health, and its converse mental illness, the methods of treating mental illness today, and the role the Church can play in promoting mental health in the community. One of the rnain impressions gained from the conference was that there must be teamwork in dealing with mental disbrders. The psychiatrist, psychologist, occupational therapists, chaplains and social workers can all contribute their specialised skills to a teamwork approach to the treatment of mental illness. All of the clergy who attended this course felt that they had gained deeper insights into the nature of the human mind and its disorders, and the efforts that are being made to cure them. Another striking impression gained by those attending was a sense of oneness. The staff of the Div-

ision of Mental Health mixed freely and informally with the clergy, aiding one's understanding' of the other. There was an adclitional sense of one-ness among the clergy themselves. Although they represented widely differing points of view, theologically speaking, in this area of human need and of Christian eoncern, there was a remarkable degree of unanimity. Denominational differences were forgotten, for they were, in fact. irrelevant. It is hoped that similar courses will be held in the future to further relations between clergy and medical staff, and to keep the clergy well informed in the matter of mental health.