A refurbished building will open its doors for children and young people with severe mental health problems on Monday.
The makeover of the Young People’s Unit, off Mount Carmel Hospital in Attard, will end the criticised practice of treating young people with mental health and social behavioural problems together. It will also ensure that children and adolescents are not housed in a place that already accommodates adults with mental health problems.
“The new protocol will mean that only children with severe mental health problems – and not young people with social issues – will be admitted to the Youth Residence. Once they receive treatment here, they will move out and continue to be treated within the community,” Nigel Camilleri, who was recruited to consult on clinical care, said yesterday.
Speaking after the inauguration of the refurbished residence, Dr Camilleri said children with mental health problems will now receive therapy within a unit that is also equipped with a games room and may feature a sports area in the future.
The refurbishment of the therapeutic unit began in January, and five young people will be moved to the Youth Residence next week.
Until recently, there were two main buildings for young people that formed part of the hospital. One accommodated male youths and the other was known as the Half Way House. The latter was refurbished and can now host five female and seven male youngsters aged between 12 and 18.
The new residence moves away from the asylum format and has been made to “feel like a house”. The residents will have more privacy, and while before rooms were shared by four patients, the rooms in the refurbished premises sleep one or two. The young residents will be trained in basic skills, including cooking, so that they can go back to the community and live an independent life.
The new Youth Residence also makes it possible to treat children and adolescents separately from adults, CEO Clifton Grima said.
Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said one out of five young people has mental health problems that are not all treatable within the community. These individuals, who suffer from depression or schizophrenia among other conditions, need treatment in specialised units, he said.