Open day at Villa Chelsea

Mental illnesses are often perceived with fear and a stigma tends to surround residences for people with mental illnesses.

In a bid to erase the stigma and clarify any misperceptions, the Richmond Foundation, a professional non-governmental organisation and non-profit-making organisation, is holding an art sale and fair at Villa Chelsea, its rehabilitation facility in Old Church Street, Birkirkara, next Sunday.

The open day, marking World Mental Health Day which is being celebrated on October 10, will be held all day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Popular artists, including William Azzopardi, Anthony Calleja, Philip Chircop, Paul Mizzi, Joseph Navarro, Lida Sherafatmand, Ian Schranz, Joanna Tabone, Raphael Vella and James Vella Clark, will display their works. Various gifts will also be on sale. Part of the proceeds will be in aid of the foundation.

The Richmond Foundation is given financial aid from the government but depends on fund-raising to run its services efficiently.

Villa Chelsea, run by the Rich-mond Foundation, offers day and residential programmes to assist those with mental illnesses to regain the skills required for independent living. The mission of the foundation, set up nine years ago on an initiative of the Richmond Fellowship of Malta International in collaboration with the government, is to serve the community as a leader in the provision of community rehabilitation and support services for people with mental health difficulties.

In an effort to provide improved services for people with mental illnesses, the Richmond Foundation recently launched an innovative Home Support Service to give those with mental health problems the opportunity to attain independence and to help them develop their potential in society. As much as possible, the new service is intent on preventing relapses or psychiatric hospital admissions.

The service will be provided by professionals recently recruited by the foundation. These support workers will assess the person's needs, plan and evaluate the care being given, provide psychological and emotional support and offer education and advice on mental health-related problems to service users and their family.

The Home Support Service, based at the foundation's head office, is available from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.