Research: Topics: Health Care: Preliminary Guide to Mental Health Documentary Sources in NY
Preliminary Guide to Mental Health Documentary Sources in New York State
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT SUBDIVISIONS
OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH
Current Functions. The function of the Office of Mental Health is to ensure the availability of appropriate and cost-effective mental health services to the people of New York State. It establishes and monitors the immense system of decentralized care, treatment, and rehabilitation of the State's mentally ill. The office performs several major activities to meet its mandate. The office operates 31 State psychiatric facilities caring for an average of 17,000 patients each day. Twenty-two of these facilities are for adults, six care for children and adolescents, and three serve forensic patients. In addition, the office directly operates small residential-care facilities in the State. The office regulates and licenses over 1,000 mental health programs operated by local governments and private agencies that serve over half a million people each year. The office plans and directs this decentralized system, monitors program quality, and provides financial oversight. The office conducts research on the causes and treatment of mental illness through two major research institutes. The office also administers federal funds for mental health programs in New York.
Organizational History. The Office of Mental Health was created in 1977 (Chapter 978) as one of three autonomous offices established within the restructured Department of Mental Hygiene. The office has continued the department's previous functions of caring for the State's mentally ill while further expanding services to clients in community-based programs.
OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH
General Agency-level Records
14231 Patient case files, ca. 1843-1938. 201 cu. ft. (671 volumes) R
20200 Patient admission lists, 1908-1974. 74 cu. ft. (447 volumes) R
B1366 Administrative reports and seven-day leave reports for State psychiatric centers, 1982. 2 cu. ft.
Office of Counsel
12045 Legal files, 1972-1986. 122 cu. ft. R
12046 Legislative files, 1962-1979, bulk ca. 1964-1975. 5 cu. ft.
Bureau of Planning Coordination
B1365 Statewide mental health plan development schedules, 1979-1981. 2 cu. ft.
Bureau of Planning and Evaluation Research
14230 Survey of patient characteristics data files, 1981-1985. 1 cu. ft. (71 microfilm reels)
Public Affairs Office
19131 Photographs of facilities, staff, and patients at mental health institutions, 1954-1975. 32 cu. ft. (ca. 2,000 photographs and 1,500 negatives)
Hospitals and Psychiatric Centers
BUFFALO PSYCHIATRIC CENTER (Buffalo State Hospital)
11663 Correspondence and report files, 1881-1968, bulk 1899-1931. 45 cu. ft.
B1384 Director’s Administrative Correspondence, 1895-1931, bulk 1895-1919. 65 cu. ft.
MOHAWK VALLEY PSYCHIATRIC CENTER (Utica Psychiatric Center/Marcy Psychiatric Center)
B1582 Historical files, 1849-1996. 12.25 cu. ft.
B1560 Photographic images of mental health patients, staff, and facilities, ca. 1900-1990. R 9.75 cu. ft. (ca. 8,000 photos, 4,000 negatives, 750 slides, and 5 CDROMs)
B1584 Sudden death, accident, and escape reports, 1919-1986, bulk 1919-1940, 1982-1986. R 0.9 cu. ft.
B1585 Newsletters, 1957-1994. 3.25 cu. ft.
Utica Psychiatric Center
B1557 Patient and employee x-ray log books, 1938-1980. 1.75 cu. ft. (25 volumes) R
B1581 Training and publicity motion pictures and videotapes, 1930-1989. 2 cu. ft. (13 items)
Marcy Psychiatric Center
B1538 Board of Visitors' visiting book, 1934-1985. 0.5 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1540 Issues of "Marcy News" newsletter, 1968-1976. 0.4 cu. ft.
Utica State Hospital
B1465 Record of commitments, 1883-1886. 1 cu. ft. (1 volume) R
B1543 Record of commitments, 1896-1897. 0.3 cu. ft. (2 volumes) R
B1485 Patient indexes, 1849-1903. 1 cu. ft. (3 volumes)
B1481 Admission, discharge, parole registers, 1843-1985. 6 cu. ft. (including 15 volumes) R
B1488 Prescription register, 1889-1893. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume) R
B1541 Physician's daily reports, 1885-1902. 0.6 cu. ft. (5 volumes) R
B1592 Patient diagnosis meeting notes, 1926-1932. 2 cu. ft. (8 volumes) R
B1588 Shock therapy treatment log, 1948-1949. 0.1 cu. ft. (1 volume) R
B1487 Daily reports and census records, 1857-1955. 1.25 cu. ft. (5 volumes)
B1583 Weekly census reports of veterans, 1922-1930. R 0.25 cu. ft.
B1589 Ward inspection reports, 1953-1954. 0.1 cu. ft. (2 volumes) R
B1593 Statements and transcripts on incidents involving alleged staff misconduct or neglect of duty, 1926-1929. R 0.1 cu. ft. (ca. 30 incident reports)
B1479 Annual reports, 1843-1964. 2.6 cu. ft. (58 volumes)
B1491 State Commission in Lunacy policy and meeting records, 1889-1932. 1.5 cu. ft. (7 volumes)
B1539 Superintendent's correspondence, 1842-1948, bulk 1943-1946. 1 cu. ft. (including 3 volumes) R
B1504 Meeting minutes of "Director's Cabinet", 1988-1995. 1 cu. ft.
B1484 Board of Managers meeting minutes and visiting books, 1842-1985. 1.75 cu. ft. (8 volumes)
B1490 State Commissioners in Lunacy visiting books, 1889-1913. 0.3 cu. ft. (2 volumes)
B1502 Board of Visitors sign-in logs, 1902-1995. 0.5 cu. ft. (2 volumes)
B1497 Daybooks and journals, 1842-1891. 1 cu. ft. (3 volumes)
B1492 Contracts and specifications, 1888-1895. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1494 Blotters and requisition books, 1881-1903. 0.75 cu. ft. (4 volumes)
B1501 Coffee and Spice Department ledger, 1898-1902. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1482 Personnel application records, 1896-1909. 0.5 cu. ft. (2 volumes)
B1558 Bindery and printing records, 1850-1936. 1.3 cu. ft. (including 5 volumes)
B1559 School of Nursing records, 1896-1980, bulk 1920-1980. 8.25 cu. ft.
New York State Lunatic Asylum
B1486 Certificates of insanity, 1884-1886. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume) R
B1493 Matron's ledger, 1860-1864. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1498 Ledger, 1842-1847. 0.3 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1499 Order book, 1866-1886. 0.5 cu. ft. (2 volumes)
B1483 Employee payroll records, 1856-1869. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1496 Construction journals, 1838-1846. 0.7 cu. ft. (3 volumes)
B1495 Construction expense ledger, 1838-1839. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1489 Visitors' book, 1842-1847. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1480 "The Opal" patient newsletter, 1851-1860. 2 cu. ft. (21 volumes)
B1500 Reference copy of published statistics on British insane, 1844. 0.1 cu. ft. (1 volume)
WILLARD PSYCHIATRIC CENTER (Willard State Hospital)
Willard Psychiatric Center
B1470 Administrative records, 1874-1977. 5.5 cu. ft.
B1478 Fiscal records, 1891-1984. 2.5 cu. ft.
B1475 Director's photograph and news clipping file, 1970-1979. 2 cu. ft.
B1440 Historical background and research files, 1869-1987. 5 cu. ft.
B1429 Medical certificate of lunacy (commitment) papers, 1869-1927. 14.2 cu. ft. R
19069 Medical records, ca. 1892-1939. 185.75 cu. ft. R
B1434 Annual reports of state commissions and institutions overseeing the mentally ill, 1887-1938. 0.2 cu. ft. (4 volumes)
B1436 Board of Visitors' reports, 1905-1995. 7.4 cu. ft.
B1503 Meeting minutes of regional mental health facilities directors, 1980-1991. 1 cu. ft.
B1442 Willard documentary images, 1880-1993, bulk 1930-1993. 18.25 cu. ft. (ca. 4,500 photographs, ca. 9,000 negatives, ca. 1,900 slides, ca. 275 lantern slides, and 2 motion pictures) R
B1477 Hospital chaplain’s records, 1954-1988. 2 cu. ft.
Willard State Hospital
B1474 Clinical records, 1885-1891. 0.75 cu. ft. (4 volumes) R
B1462 Autopsy reports, 1895-1967, bulk 1906-1964. 4.5 cu. ft. R
B1472 Clinical laboratory records, 1915-1968. 0.75 cu. ft. R
B1456 Admission and discharge registers, 1869-1996. 3.5 cu. ft. (16 volumes) R
B1473 Ward admission, transfer, and census books, 1929-1975. 0.25 cu. ft. (4 volumes) R
B1459 Patient indexes, 1869-1962. 4 cu. ft. (7 volumes) R
B1457 Parole registers, 1886-1964. 1 cu. ft. (6 volumes) R
B1460 Personnel records, 1869-1962. 2 cu. ft. (8 volumes)
B1467 Employee hospital records, 1926-1928. 0.1 cu. ft. (ca. 30 records) R
B1463 Staff notes on patient diagnosis, 1929-1935. 0.3 cu. ft. (2 volumes) R
B1464 Minutes of Committee on After Care, 1906-1938. 0.25 cu. ft. (2 volumes) R
B1468 Correspondence, 1893-1927. 0.75 cu. ft. (4 volumes) R
B1430 Court papers relating to patients' legal matters, ca. 1900-1925. 1 cu. ft. R
B1476 Ward inspection reports, 1885-1900. 0.5 cu. ft. (3 volumes)
B1469 Visitation and inspection records, 1889-1965. 1.5 cu. ft. (5 volumes) R
B1458 Daily reports and census records, 1869-1955. 2.5 cu. ft. (8 volumes) R
B1433 Annual reports, 1867-1972, bulk 1869-1927. 2 cu. ft. (77 volumes)
B1471 Ward inventory, 1969. 0.1 cu. ft. (1 volume)
B1445 Willard State Hospital School of Nursing records, 1917-1977. 1.5 cu. ft. (ca. 1,300 photographs)
B1453 Newsletters, 1957-1980. 1.5 cu. ft.
B1461 Scrapbooks, 1875-1902. 1 cu. ft. (6 volumes)
Willard Asylum for the Insane
B1466 Employee payroll records, 1869-1878. 0.25 cu. ft. (1 volume
