Mentari Kuala Pilah has been offering English classes to patients since January 2024 in line with the Policy of Patient’s Rights. These classes were started based on a patient’s expressed desire to learn English during a discussion with Ms. Anna, Occupational Therapist. Adhering to client-centred approach, treatment programs are custom-designed to meet the unique needs of client.

Goal: 

The purpose of English classes is to enhance patients’ communication skills for socializing in public and community settings, ultimately boosting their self-confidence. Acquiring new languages as a means of communication can create new employment prospects for psychiatric patients. Enhancing their ability to learn can decrease stress, assist with emotional regulation, and improve their overall quality of life.

 Activity Description:

The English classes are held every Tuesday from 9 am to 11 am. The syllabus is at a primary school level and is taught in classroom setting. During the classes, patients are required to speak English with each other. They also have writing tasks, copying from whiteboard and writing five sentences in notebooks daily.

Implementation: 

We develop the English communication skills by bringing patients to public places like Marry Brown, supermarkets, and job interviews to provide platform for them to practice their skills. We also designate one day a week as “English Speaking Day” at Mentari. 

Challenges: 

The diverse backgrounds of patients, including differences in intellectual abilities, cultural backgrounds, and living in rural settings, pose challenges for us. 

Conclusion: 

We have improved our service delivery for clients by providing learning opportunities regardless of their condition. This has helped patients make progress in self-confidence, enabling them to thrive in the community with reduced stigma. In the future, we are planning to update the lesson syllabus and teach clients to use English using gadgets. This aims to prepare patients for an Ai (Artificial Intelligence) oriented world. Our recommendation for other Mentari is to unequivocally design treatment programs based on Client-Centred Approach to improve client’s quality of life.