PROJECT & ACTIVITIES
Group Home Project
The Group Home project was started in the Kota Sentosa township in 1995 and is located at the old TB Annex site belonging to the Anti TB Association of Sarawak (ATAS). The Group Home comprises 5 self-contained living units (each capable of accommodating up to 4 residents) and an office cum workshop block. It was started to support the rehabilitation of people suffering from mental disorders and to provide supported accommodation to those who have been rejected by their communities and have nowhere to live. These include those who have been treated, considered well and have been discharged by the mental health services. The objective was to rehabilitate and to equip the residents with sufficient skills for them to be able to find competitive work and later be reintegrated back into their communities. In 2005, ATAS expressed its intention to repossess the site for their own development projects. In February 2012, the group home site was demolished and the 12 residents were moved and temporarily housed in an old bungalow (Bungalow Lada) belonging to Hospital Sentosa.
At present, we have 6 residents and 10 day-attendees. They are supervised by the group home project manager, Madam Remi Ak Inggor. The residents are actively involved in cleaning the Group Home, cooking their own meals, gardening, exercising and other rehabilitation activities.
Social Activities
The MHAS Kuching Branch organises and sponsors outings/ recreational activities for persons with mental disorders on a regular basis. With the help of College students who do their internship at the Group Home, we have successfully organized recreational outings to various places of interest for the Group Home residents as well as our day attendees.
Educational Activities
The MHAS Kuching Branch works in partnership with Hospital Sentosa, Hospital Umum Sarawak and UNIMAS (Universiti Malaysia Sarawak) to help organise various mental health educational activities such as Mental Health Conferences, World Mental Health Day Celebrations, public forums and exhibitions to promote the awareness and importance of good mental health to the public. This year, we plan to organise a “Mental Health Month 2017” in conjunction with the World Mental Health Day 2017. The Mental Health Week in Padawan Council will be held within the same month, during which time, exhibitions, talks and mental health screening for the public will be employed.
We also provide seminars or workshops related to mental health education and literacy, e.g. seminars on how to handle stress in the work place for companies or organisations, upon their request.
We have also received applications from students who wish to do their industrial training/ clinical posting at the Group Home which benefits both parties well.
Drop-in / Information Centre
The MHAS Kuching Branch is running a new drop-in/information centre as of September, 2017 and we plan to officially launch this venture during the Mental Health Month 2017. The drop-in centre will serve as a place for obtaining mental health related information, an operations centre for the Mental Health Association of Sarawak and a place to visit should someone seek assistance when undergoing hard times dealing with challenges thrown by the various mental health conditions. We are in the process of providing a counselling service at the centre.
