講演情報
[SY-55-03]The Process and Current Challenges of Deinstitutionalization in the Eastern Hidaka Region, Hokkaido
*IKUYOSHI MUKAIYACHI1 (1. Health Sciences University of Hokkaido (Japan))
キーワード：
deinstitutionalization、community living support、consumer-led
The eastern Hidaka region of Hokkaido, located in northern Japan, has a population of approximately 20,300 and consists of three coastal towns facing the Pacific Ocean: Urakawa, Samani, and Erimo. The region is known for its fishing industry, racehorse breeding, and strawberry production. Urakawa, the central town of the district, once had a psychiatric ward with 130 beds. The number of psychiatric beds per 1,000 residents there was more than twice the national average in Japan, which already has the highest ratio of psychiatric beds in the world. A turning point came in 1978 with the establishment of a self-help group for people with psychiatric disabilities in Urakawa. This initiative eventually led to the founding of Urakawa Bethel House (Urakawa Bethel no Ie) in 1984, an organization that promotes peer support, employment, and housing assistance. In 2000, a department was created within the hospital to promote deinstitutionalization and community reintegration. The psychiatric ward was ultimately closed in 2014. Since then, both medical care and daily life support have been provided on a community basis, representing a major step forward in Japan’s efforts toward deinstitutionalization.