of St. Brendan's Hospital.

"Prior to 1970, St. Brendan's was strictly a custodial institution with no real programme to discharge patients,'' he said. "Today, however, many patients are free to live in the community.

"We operate with a plan to discharge patients sometime in the future. In fact, in most cases, patients are released and cared for by the outpatient clinic,'' he said.

The past decade has seen major changes in St. Brendan's Hospital. New buildings have allowed the Hospital to enhance treatment programmes.

"And we're dealing more with the total family than ever before,'' said Mr.

Simons. "There's no point in treating a patient if we send them back to the same environment as before,'' he said. "Our services, therefore, involve the family -- St. Brendan's Hospital offers family support groups.

"And as a result, we find families are beginning to take patients back into their life. Half of our patients went home for Christmas,'' he added.

St. Brendan's Hospital has long been affixed with connotations of straight jackets and electric shock treatments. But the stigma attached to the Hospital is slowly weaning through education of the community, according to Mr. Simons.

"However some people still associate St. Brendan's with stereotypical movie parts,'' he said. "We don't even use a straight jacket in this Hospital.'' St. Brendan's accommodates 140 patients on a full-time basis and between 60 and 70 day patients. "Remember that we're different from the majority of centres abroad,'' said Mr. Simons. "They can specialise in specific illnesses. But we have to manage every type of patient.'' The key, however, for the treatment of psychiatric patients, is drug therapy, according to Mr. Simons. "And we'll play a lesser part,'' he said, "as we become more supportive of the mentally ill rather than custodial.'' The length of stay at the Hospital is already diminishing. Shortly, there will be a surplus of space. "And that space will be used to meet the needs of care not already entrenched in the system. Intermediate care, for example, is currently located at King Edward. But it should be placed here,'' he said.

"And by doing that, the stigma attached to St. Brendan's may be even further removed,'' he added.

Like King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, St. Brendan's Hospital is accredited by the Canadian Accredited Association. And Hospital standards continue to grow with favourable reports.

St. Brendan's Hospital's newest unit -- the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Service -- is located at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. And according to Mr. Simons, the department continues to increase at an alarming rate of four new referrals per week, supporting the earlier premise that there was a great need for a Child and Adolescent Unit in the community.

Several other changes are also taking place in the Hospital including the development of group homes. "Mentally ill patients can frequently be treated and put back into society as long as they are controlled,'' said Mr. Simons.

"And with the aid of drug therapy, patients can learn to cope with the outside world.'' The Hospital has two mentally ill community homes as well as two mentally handicapped homes. "And we hope to have a third community home for the mentally ill next year,'' said Mr. Simons. "In fact, we're planning to open a new `home' every year.

"And it will actually decrease costs,'' he said, "because not as many staff will be required. Rather than shift workers, the Hospital will employ house parents.'' In moving toward a normalisation of life for the psychiatric patient, the patients become more independent of care. And they learn the skills needed to cope with everyday life.

All departments of the Hospital are committed to de-institutionalisation.

But according to Chief of Psychiatry, Dr. Richard Lament, a major concern has been the day-time activities of those discharged from the Hospital, and the need for an activity drop-in centre.

A drop-in programme, however, has been recently established at the Pembroke Community Centre. And this proved to be a great success.

ST. BRENDAN'S HOSPITAL -- Trying to get more and more patients to return to living normally in the community.