MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Mental health patients here are set to benefit from the use of a therapeutic garden at Ebenezer Rehabilitation Centre.

The green space, which was officially opened last week, has been named in honour of Reverend Clarister Johnson.

Operations manager for the facility Paulette Wheeler said many patients have been rehabilitated and are successful in gaining employment, even in Mandeville.

“We currently have 20 clients. Two are working now — one is at a supermarket and the other is at a call centre. We are in the process of expanding and we are going to be building some transitional homes,” said Wheeler.

The two-floor transitional home is expected to give mental health patients a chance to work on their social skills and be better reintegrated into society.

“The building is going up as we speak. We are hoping that it will be finished for the end of year, so that we can take in additional clients,” said Wheeler.

She explained that the expanded facility is greatly needed.

“Mental health [challenges] are on the increase and homelessness is increasing, especially with the economic climate that we are currently in, so we need to be able to house more clients, especially men, because men are forgotten. They are not supported at all. At the moment we need funding to help with the new building and the expansion to help more men,” she said.

Wheeler pointed to the importance and role of nature in mental health support.

“We do counselling sessions with the men, but there are times when they just need peace and now that they have the therapeutic garden they will be at one with nature, so they can just come out and relax, because there are times when their thoughts are just racing and they just need to be at peace and at one with nature,” she said.

President of the Rotary Club of Mandeville Maurice Smith lauded the management of the facility while pointing to a shared value among both organisations.

“Central to our value as a Rotary Club is the idea of service above self. This means to us that before we consider what is in us we consider those in society who are most vulnerable and who need help,” he said.

“We as a club want to continue to support in the ways that we can. We want to support in a way that is visible to hopefully urge others to continue their action and support. We have a small cheque that we hope will lead towards the establishment of the water feature,” he added in reference to a donation of $120,000.

Marcia Francis, director of strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation at the Southern Regional Health Authority, said green spaces are vital to people’s health and well-being.

“The Southern Regional Health Authority has recognised that one of the most effective remedies for our fast-paced, stress-filled lives, mental and physical health challenges we face lies not in medication, but in the tranquillity of nature,” she said while pointing to the health authority’s mission of encouraging the use of more green spaces.

“The goal is to promote healing, reduce stress, and enhance the overall quality of life of our citizens,” Francis said.

She, too, commended the management of the facility for prioritising the well-being of its patients through thoughtful measures.

“We extend our gratitude to the Ebenezer Rehabilitation Centre for championing this therapeutic space. This initiative serves as a poignant reminder that nature is not merely a backdrop to our lives, it is an essential partner in our well-being; a prescription for our wellness, hope, and renewal,” she said.