The *'woeful inadequacy" of services for emotionally disturbed children in the New Orleans area was brought to the j attention of the New Orleans (Council of Parent-Teacher Associations Wednesday.
This is the public health problem No. 1 in the nation today, not counting juvenile delinquency or alcoholism, Dr. J, E. Chappuis, medical director of the Guidance Center of the Institute of Mental Hygiene here * told the P-TA parents meeting in the Louisiana Association for Mental Health center.
Mentally disturbed people are filling half of all the hospital beds in the country, and one in 10 persons at one time or another suffered mental disturbance serious enough to require treatment as an outpatient or in a hospital ward, he said. 'NOT SHORT TERMED'
There is a waiting period for non-emergency cases from 18 to 20 months at the center, he said. Psychiatric treatment is not short-termed he said:
"We see more and more children who seem to be having trouble in this area," Judge Leo Blessing of the juvenile court told the group. Many emotionally disturbed children do not come to the attention of the court; and unless they violate the law they cannot be called delinquent, he said.
He said that mentally retarded children, too, can be emotionally disturbed, and this poses a special problem.
The No. 1 priority in the community, as far as the needs of children go, is adequate facilities for handling this situation, Judge Blessing said. "We need right now a local institution to take care of 25 or 30 children emotionally disturbed who cannot get service on a home basis."
NEED IS CITED
There is a substantial need for services for emotionally disturbed children, Clark H. Corliss, executive director of the Social Welfare Planning Council, told the assembly.
All children at some time or other have experienced emotional problems, but they do not always need special help in overcoming them, Miss Eloise Le-Bauve, assistant supervisor of the visiting teacher program for the Orleans parish public schools, said.
In school, when a teacher finds a child whose behavior disrupts school routine, she refers the child to the visiting teacher.
The visiting teacher or guidance counselor attempts to explore reasons behind the child's behavior; and if any major change is needed, she refers the case to the guidance center.
LUNCH PLANNED
She said that in the 1960-61 school term, 1630 children Were referred to visiting teachers, and only 331 had maladjustments serious enough to have to be referred to the center. That is a small number in comparison with the enrollment of 94,312 and 117 schools, she said.
In two separate resolutions the council voted to write to the state board of education and to the Orleans parish school board asking them to let the group know what their problems are and how P-TA can help in solving them.
In a third resolution the council voted to give a donation of $25 to its scholarship fund in memory of the late Leon Herschberg, principal of the Eleanor McMain school.
Mrs. Edwin R. Guidry, president, announced that a Founders' Day luncheon will be held at the Roosevelt Feb. 14.
