History of Lucena Clinic
Introduction
The Hospitaller Order of St. of God is a world-wide Catholic Healthcare oganisation providing services in forty six countries.
The Mission of each Lucena Clinic is to provide a specialised and comprehensive mental health service to the children and families of Dublin South, parts of Dublin West and County Wicklow. The philosophy of the services of the Order of St. John of God, based on the beliefs and values of the founder, is that people are the creation of God with intrinsic value and inherent dignity. This philosophy influences all our activities and obliges us to keep the dignity of the individual at the heart of our mission.
Lucena was the name of the house and the first hospital which St. John of God opened in 1537 in the city of Granada, Spain. To honour the 5th centenary of the birth of St. John of God in 1495, the Order renamed its Child and Adolescent Mental Health services as Lucena Clinic Services.
The Order wishes to extend the same hospitality shown by John to everyone who came seeking help, healing or shelter at his house on Lucena Street, to every child and family coming to any of the clinics at Rathgar; Tallaght; Dun Laoghaire, Bray and Wickow.
Origins
In 1952/1953 the Dept. of Health asked the Order of St. John of God if it would collaborate with it in setting up a child guidance clinic in Dublin, mainly serving the city of Dublin, with links to the Dublin Corporation Child Health Service and the Schools Medical Service. The clinic would be part of an early intervention programme for children with emotional/behavioural problems.
The Order agreed to cooperate with the project and soon began to recruit a clinical team, a Child Psychiatrist, Clinical/Educational Psychologist and Psychiatric Social Worker.
The at same time, the Order set about locating a suitable property to house the proposed Child Guidance Clinic. Several properties were viewed and examined. The final choice was Dunfillan House, 59 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Accessibility to good public transport a deciding factor.
By 5th September 1955 the clinic was furnished and staffed and the first child was seen.