SPEECH BY DR AMY KHOR, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH, AT THE MINDSET CHALLENGE 2014, 2 NOVEMBER 2014

Mr Alex Newbigging, Chairman, MINDSET Care Limited,

Mr Keith Chua,Vice President, Singapore Anglican Community Services,

Distinguished Guests,

1.            Good morning. I would like to thank MINDSET for inviting me to The MINDSET Challenge 2014.

SUPPORTING PATIENT’S REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY

2.            As the saying goes, health is wealth. With good health, we can be productive, achieve our goals and aspirations in life, and be better able to enjoy a good quality of life with our loved ones. To achieve a healthy lifestyle, we need to be physically active, have a balanced diet, stay smoke-free, avoid drinking, and also maintain good mental and emotional well-being. Mental health is an important aspect of health and wellness.

3.            Good mental health is often defined by how one is able to cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute in one’s community. It is therefore important to look at mental health as a spectrum across one’s health and social environments. There are some of us who have mental illnesses or know of a loved one struggling with the condition. Instead of focusing on treatment alone, we need to approach mental health holistically from education and mental health promotion, providing primary care support and improving the reintegration of patients post treatment into the community. Community partners can play an important role in supporting our efforts to promote good mental health.

4.            MINDSET is a good example of one such partner. It aims to change people’s attitudes of mental health issues by raising awareness and understanding, as well as by providing direct assistance for individuals, families and organisations in need of help. I am glad to note that the work of MINDSET is meaningful and that they have a range of initiatives in place to reach out to the community. Awareness on mental health is important as it can possibly encourage early detection of mental illness.

5.            Early detection of mental illness and intervention helps those affected achieve optimal treatment outcomes. Gradually, when person in recovery starts to re-integrate back to society, it is important to establish both treatment and care resources as well as support and rehabilitation programmes in the community so that those who require the services are able to access them. This is important in helping people rebuild their skills and sense of identity after an illness, so that they can continue to lead purposeful lives.

(I)        Establishment of treatment and care in the community

6.            Since 2012, under the Community Mental Health Masterplan, we have made progress in developing community networks to support persons with mental illness, and empower the community with information to help reduce stigma and strengthen support for patients. We have been working closely with various community partners to form Local Community Support Networks that help to identify care needs in the neighbourhood and refer residents to appropriate services.

7.            In addition to developing community support networks, we have also been training more GPs to provide timely intervention for persons with mental illness in their neighbourhoods. Community teams are also available to provide support for these primary care physicians by offering long-term follow-up and emotional support for patients in the community.

(II)       Support and Rehabilitation services in the community

8.            Another important component is the availability of support and rehabilitation services in the community. The Singapore Anglican Community Services, SACS, is one of the main service providers in this area.

9.            The MINDSET Challenge 2014 this year will raise funds for clients under the Employment Training Centre Programme, which is a part of the SACS’ Employment Support Services (ESS). The Employment Training Centre programme provides a structured and holistic training course to equip persons with mental illness with relevant skills over six weeks, before they are placed out for employment. Under the ESS, employment specialists are also available to provide a helping hand by working with employers as well, so that they can effectively motivate and maximise the potential of people under their employment. Last year, ESS managed to help 120 individuals.

10.         Other than empowering the individual, it is equally important for employers in general to create a conducive work environment which promotes mental well-being. As part of our health promotional efforts, we have piloted the Employee Assistance Champions (EAC) Programme in March last year, targeting supervisors, managers, HR practitioners and company coordinators of employee programmes. These Champions are internal advocates for the integration of employee mental well-being, engagement and productivity. To date, 148 EACs have been recruited.

11.         In addition, over 800 workplaces have taken up the $5000 mental health grant and invested in the mental well-being of an estimated 160,000 employees. It is indeed encouraging that close to 100% of these companies have doubled their spending on specific employee support services such as employee counselling and management training, beyond just educational programmes and activities.

Conclusion

12.         With appropriate and adequate intervention and preparation, people with mental illness can be empowered to lead productive lives to achieve independent and fulfilling living in the community.

13.         In closing, let me thank MINDSET and SACS for their dedication and effort in helping people with mental illness re-integrate back into society. I look forward to walking with all of you later!