Rage Eleven Sunday, May 22, 1955 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Sunday, May 22, 1955 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Eleven NPI Treats Disturbed Children Center Also Functions In Training, Research BEHIND locked doors in a wing of the basement in University Hospital live 35 children with se- vere mental disorders. The Children's Service, a part of the Neuropsychiatric Institute, is one of the few residential psy- chiatric treatment centers for children in the country today, and is setting an important precedent. Set up in 1949, the Children's Service handles a wide variety of clinical problems and is able to treat the aggressive and de- structive child as well as the withdrawn and inhibited one. "Above all, an attempt is made to provide a milieu in which the child will feel accepted regardless of the level of his initial devia- tion, and in which he can grad- ually learn to deal with his prob- lems," Dr. Ralph D. Rabinovitch, chief of the Children's Service, ex- plained. "The total number of personnel (52) working with the children may seem overly large, but with- out this opportunity for closeness of relationship between child and adult, an effective program is not possible," he said. The children who are between the ages of six and fifteen, each receive from three to five hours of direct psychotherapy a week. During the day there are regu- larly scheduled activities. In the classroom, as in all other activi- ties, an attempt is made to pro- vide a permissive and stimulat- ing atmosphere. In addition to treating children throughout the State on both an in-patient and out-patient basis, the Children's Service also func- tions as a training and research center. When the new psychiatric hos- pital is completed the Children's Service, which is state supported, will be able to care for 75 children. Adults Must Activate A Community Feeling Agencies Not Enough The FIGHT against Juvenile delinquency, if it is to be success- By serious participation in coin- ful, can not be waged by profes- munity life, Rabinovich pointed sional agencies alone but rather by out that he did not mean such the total community. events as children taking over the Building more mental hospitals local city council for a day. He or enlarging the police force in mentioned the Michigan Youth itself will not alleviate the situa- Advisory Council which acts as an tion. The prevention and control advisory body for the Michigan of delinquency is a complex prob- Youth Commission, as a successful lem, and as such must be recog- example of South assuming re- nized as a community problem. sponsibility positions to the bene- What can a community do? fit of the community as a whole. Generally, each individual par- "If you want to know what their ent must be aware of the re- problems are, get youth together" sources within his community, he added. He illustrated this with and it is up to him to see that an example of a police cleanup they are functioning properly, of gangs in a Michigan city which The community must also rea- a local youth group pointed out lize that the prevention of delin- would be a waste of time. A few quency is costly. No matter how months later, after much time expensive it is, however, it does and effort had been exerted, the not exceed the cost of treatment police department came to the later on for delinquents, same conclusion. A PROGRAM geared towards "The community has ceased to the prevention of delinquency must exist as a stabilizing force," he include slum clearance, parentc- commented. Children from fair education and the construction of sized cities have the lowest iden- more schools a hichsiiallown or tification with the community. In individualization. Existing preven- the face of unstable world in- tive agencies must be expanded fluences today, there must be a and improved which can be done tabiliing force within the cm- only if the community is willing munity," he said. to give more money. It has been suggested that the Any program for the preven- increase in delinquency is due to tion of delinquency must be flex- a general weakening of social con- ible. Some of our existing ser- trols today because adults them- vices have proven to be inade- selves are at a loss to help young quate. We must accept this and people in defining an acceptable look for more effective techni- relationship between themselves ques, and the world in which they live. For example, it has been shown The importance of youth par- that our social workers are not ticipation in community life was reaching the people who really emphasized by Prof. Max Hutt of need their help. The seriously de- the psychology department. He linquent children or disturbed pointed out that some eastern families will not seek help or par- schools have successfully incorpor- ticipate in the ordinary recreation- ated real community participation al activities. within their academic programs. In New York City they have "There is a lack of spontaneity made a real attempt in reaching in schools today," Prof. Hutt not- these people. The New York City ed. There is no room today for ag- Youth Board has developed a pro- gression or sublimation within the gram of aggressive case work in classroom. which the social workers actually go out to help delinquent children "A teacher cannot allow for rather than passively waiting for much spontaneity when she has them to seek help. New York City forty or fifty children to deal has set an important precedent. with. The overcrowding in our a a schools today is a problem that MOST IMPORTANT of all, must be licked," Prof. Hutt said. adults must participate in their Another community problem was community and recognize youth as pointed out by Judge Jay H. Payne responsible members of that com- of the Probate Court in Ann Arbor. munity. If we want youth to act Many youths who leave school as responsible citizens we must when they reach the age of six- treat them as such. Too often the teen, are unable to find jobs, and only way a youth is able to achieve eventually get in trouble because recognition as an individual is of idleness. A partial answer would through delinquent acts. be more community encourage- "If our youth know that they ment to help these children adjst are taking a real part in com- to school. munity life, they will not only Ann Arbor is fortunate in hav- release excess emotion this way, ing many fine resources to help but will feel worthwhile and re- juvenile delinquents. But the com- sponsible," noted Sam Rabino- munity as a whole must supple- vitz of the Michigan Youth Com- ment this program and be willing mission. to expand these agencies. CHILDREN are often able to express themselves better through painting and play during therapy with staff psychiatrists. SEWING or knitting is often en- OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY is an important part of the total couraged for children during program. Three adults supervise in the workshop as the children therapy sessions with psychia- sometimes become aggressive. trists. FISI; SNAKS and rabets gise th.e . a7:' a carer a s- phere. The children take care of the animals and make their cages. Daily Pictures by Dick Gaskiil THE TEACHING STAFF of the Children's Service uses every device to make classwork stimulating, as most of the children have developed negative attitudes towards school.