Jansen, Elly (1929–)

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Jansen, Elly (1929–)

Dutch-born social worker. Born in Holland, 1929.

A leading figure in field of mental health, studied psychology, trained as a nurse, and worked with disturbed children; went to England to train as a missionary (1955), which led her into social work with mentally ill; started 1st therapeutic community, or halfway house, for mental patients (1959); established Richmond Fellowship, through which she promoted re-integration of mental health patients into main stream society; became international director of the fellowship, which grew to include some 50 houses in Britain, and another 50 scattered throughout world, including Australia, New Zealand, Austria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and US. Made OBE (1980).

See also Women in World History.

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Jansen, Elly (1929–)

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