University of Virginia Library

Health Service Obtains Grant

The University's Psychiatry
Department recently assisted in securing a
$176,361 grant for continuation of
locally administered mental health
services.

The Charlottesville-Albemarle-Nelson
County Mental Health Services and
Mental Retardation Board will accept the
grant from the National Institute of
Mental Health April 3.

The grant was proposed more than
two years ago, and was approved July 1,
1970, but was delayed by administrative
budget controls.

Maintain Services

Officials say that the cooperation
between the University's Psychiatry
Department and the local Mental Health
and Mental Retardation Board made the
award possible.

Psychiatry Department Chairman
David R. Hawkins said the grant will
maintain services which help people with
problems such as mental breakdown, drug
addition, alcoholism, depression, family
break-up, or attempted suicide.

Formerly the University provided
many professional services, but these
were primarily parts of instructional
programs and were not geared to the
needs of a growing population center.

Forestall Hospitalization

Psychiatry Department faculty
members manage psychiatric services on a
part-time basis with the Services Board.

Adequate work with the people can
forestall any need for hospitalization, Dr.
Hawkins said, and can take into account
pressures and resources within the
immediate environment.

Service Board director Hilton O.
Hendrick said the award will facilitate the
extension of the community's mental
health services to relieve such
over-burdened facilities at the University
as the emergency room and Davis Ward.