PHP Outing – 2/4/2018

On April 2nd 2018, the new batch of Peer Helpers had the opportunity to visit 3 locations, namely Teck Ghee Youth Centre, Anglican Care Centre and the Institute of Mental Health as part of our learning journey. It was an extremely informative experience for all of us.

Firstly, we went to Teck Ghee Youth Centre, located in Ang Mo Kio. We were given talk by two of the staff there about their career in social service, which turned out to be incredibly eye-opening. Something interesting was that one of them had actually completed a degree in chemical engineering before realising that social work was her true calling. We realised that it is never too late to find and pursue our interests, and to keep our minds open! The centre offers several programmes to help young people integrate well into the society, such as their Guidance Programme, which involves rehabilitation for children who committed petty crimes such as theft, so that they will be able to adopt pro-social values and remain crime-free.

We learnt that they place a high importance on enabling the children as capable people, regardless of whether they are kids who are almost dropping out of school, or kids who have committed crimes. They treat them as people who have hidden talents waiting to be honed and provide them with the opportunity to be better, to prove themselves as members who can contribute back to society. One such example is the Youth Rangers Programme which targets youths at risk of becoming juvenile delinquents. Through the programme which provides leadership opportunities, they are guided to become caring people with positive social and life skills and are able to engage meaningfully in their home, school and local environments.

The staff then showed us around the centre, which was fully-furnished with a variety of items, from a billiard table to a kitchen where youth could do some baking, and even video game consoles. It was a very enriching experience for all of us as we were relatively unaware about the presence of such youth centres that made available such amenities that are both easily accessible and immensely useful for anyone who not only seeks help, but also those who want to lend a helping hand of their own.

Our second stop was at Anglican Care Centre (Hougang). This is a private clinic located within the same premises as Institute of Mental Health, set up by Singapore Anglican Care Services. We attended a talk by their resident psychiatrist who informed us on many myths about mental illnesses. The centre director explained to us that the centre followed an American “open concept” where patients were allowed to come and go as they please, which leads to a greater sense of independence, speeding up their recovery journey.

He shared about how some patients who had been cooped up inside the hospital for a long time were finally discharged and had difficulty navigating the streets, which had changed tremendously since the last time they set eyes on them. A lot had to be done for these people who may find day-to-day jobs much more difficult than any of us. As such, the centre also conducts classes for the patients’ reintegration into society, such as how to take public transport and how to communicate effectively in job interviews. We were then given a brief tour on the facilities available in the centre, including more than a hundred beds for residential rehabilitation services, and classrooms for workshops to be held. We were even awed by some beautiful and eye-catching artwork lining the walls of the hallways that had been done by the patients themselves!

A common theme we realised in these care centres is the idea of enabling the people they help and guiding them to make their own decisions, to live as independent people, until they can be certain that the people they extend their services to would fare well even without their help. The services and opportunities provided in both of these places were heartening to see as we noted not only the facilities, but how there were people willing to set aside time and effort to aid other people in need through their recovery journeys.

Finally, we visited the Institute of Mental Health, located in Buangkok. The visit started off with a talk by an ambassador of the Institute of Mental Health, Ms. Mahita Vas, who had been previously diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and now volunteers as a mental health advocate at the Institute of Mental Health. Discussing her previous struggles with Bipolar Disorder and how it impacted her career, family, and day-to-day life, she also talked about the stigma surrounding mental health as well as her path to recovery. Throughout her insightful and genuine sharing, her bubbly and charismatic personality shone through and we listened raptly to the invaluable glimpse she provided into the life of someone struggling with their mental health.

We also toured the premises of the Institute of Mental Health, visiting the living areas for inpatients – the wards where they rest at night, canteens where they eat their meals and communal living areas where they watch television, read books, use computers or just have simple conversations with each other. Our final stop was the Woodbridge museum, where they display old artifacts and pictures from the old Woodbridge Hospital including older methods of treatment for mental health issues.

As a whole, we were fortunate to learn many new things and most importantly, see for ourselves the efforts taken up the people to encourage a caring and inclusive community by helping people in a positive manner and being the bridge to the community until they find their foot in our society again. Furthermore, we were privileged to hear from individuals who perhaps shared the same concerns about mental health as us, people from whom we could borrow insights and perspectives due to their extensive knowledge and experience. This trip was definitely a great start to our peer helping journey!