Psychiatric Hospital - Sheltered Workshop Project
Psychiatric Hospital – Sheltered Workshop Project 2023
Sheltered Workshop 2023
Project Goals:
As a public service institution, it would be more appropriate to speak on the benefits of the project to
patients and the community which include:
- Provides a safe and secure environment for patients to develop and master occupational and
vocational skills that could eventually lead to full-time and independent employment within the
community, thereby facilitating a return to being productive members of society. - Assists in teaching persons emotional, cognitive and social skills that will help with their reintegration
to life outside of institutionalized care. - Patients become more socially adept with the ability to manage their mental health condition
independently without medical intervention and which can prevent readmission to hospital.
The Hospital’s in-patient and out-patient population will continue to benefit from the success of this
project as the Sheltered Workshop is an in-house and on-site rehabilitation programme. All persons are
deemed eligible subject to assessment by OT to determine their suitability for the Programme. At
present, in-patients from the A Ward, Elayne Scantlebury Centre and Quarter-way House actively
participate in the programme and additional referrals are expected with an expanded Programme from
among in-patient and out-patient groups.
The main goals of an expanded Programme shall include:
- To assist in the development of work-related skills and behaviors for all participants.
- To provide opportunities for skill development and mastery, leading to external employment
opportunities. - To assist in the rehabilitation and recovery of patients from mental health conditions.
- To increase the number of patients referred for participation in the Programme by 100%.
- To increase the range of vocational skills by improving the availability of working tools and
equipment. - To become a fully functional workshop offering a full range of services, leading to an increase in
clientele and working opportunities for participants. - To raise the profile of the programme as an important component of the mental health services
and treatment programmes provided by the Hospital to the community.
About the Psychiatric Hospital & The Sheltered Workshop Project:
In 1891, the Government of Barbados purchased Jenkins Ville plantation for the purpose of converting
the property into a hospital to accommodate mentally ill persons. The Hospital received its first patients
in 1893, who were admitted to a custodial residence under the Lunacy Act. In those early days, the
Hospital was managed by a Medical Superintendent and a Matron who was the head of nursing, and
patient care was custodial in nature. Over the years, the Hospital has undergone numerous
developmental and progressive changes, which has included the expansion of its physical plant, a re-design
of the management structure and a change in policy at the national level resulting in the
abolishment of the Lunacy Act. Patients are now admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital under the Mental
Health Act, CAP. 45 with specified rights and responsibilities, they have access to a wider range of
services and mental health care, focused on treatment, recovery, mental and physical wellness,
rehabilitation and community integration.
As the lone facility in Barbados that provides primary, secondary, tertiary and emergency care to
persons with mental disorders and illnesses, the Hospital as a public institution assists persons
experiencing mental illness or problems from the stage of diagnosis, to recovery and to reintegration
into their communities and family units. The services of the Hospital have therefore been advanced with
the purpose of providing therapeutic care environments to patients, engaging patients and their
families/carers in programmes to enhance the recovery process and improve the quality of life for
individuals after discharge. The Hospital has a bed capacity of five hundred and forty (540) with services
organized into five (5) main sub-specializations – In-patient Services, Out-patient Services, Allied
Health/Paramedical Services, Support Services and Community Services. The current staff complement
is four hundred and twenty-four (424), assigned across thirty (30) departments/units. The hospital is led
by the Hospital Director who has reporting responsibilities to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Health and Wellness. Other members of the senior management team consist of the Senior Consultant
Psychologist who also reports to the Chief Medical Officer, the Principal Nursing Officer and the
Assistant Hospital Director.
The Sheltered Workshop as a Rehabilitative Therapy Programme
Rehabilitative therapy and psychosocial programmes focus on de-institutionalization by helping persons
live as independently as possible and becoming fully integrated into their communities. Treatment is
centered on the person’s potential for recovery, empowerment, promotion of social inclusion, physical
and psychosocial support. Specifically, the Sheltered Workshop provides participants with employable
vocational skills such as woodworking, carpentry and joinery but persons also have an opportunity to
develop life-skills such as self-care, money management, communication and social interaction skills.
Studies have shown that “work” is beneficial for a person’s mental well-being as it helps them to feel
productive, boosts their self-esteem and improves their social connections. As such, the Sheltered
Workshop is founded in the belief that there is therapeutic value in meaningful occupation and both
physical and psychiatric conditions can be treated through specific activity.
The Sheltered Workshop is set up to represent a normal work environment, and participants therefore
have an opportunity to earn wages from client fees, which helps to boost feelings of independence and
self-confidence. The focus however, is not on income generation but rather on therapeutic and
psychosocial recovery by creating feelings of hope for the future, establishing a network of ongoing
social interactions and support, and providing a safe space for persons to experience and regain
meaningful employment.
The day-to-day activities of the Workshop are overseen by a Nursing Officer, Nursing Assistant and an
Artisan instructor who are responsible for teaching participants the specific vocational skills, the use and
care of machinery, equipment and tools, and for the assignment and inspection of work tasks.
There are currently six (6) in-patients assigned to the Sheltered Workshop from other internal
Wards/Units, however, it is envisioned that with the upgrade of the facility, that additional persons
would be accommodated to increase participation levels. 100% of patients have a written/documented
comprehensive rehabilitative plan, have shown improvement in various assigned skill sets and have
shown 85% of documented Measurement of Skill improvement and stability over the last two (2)
months.