New York State Department of Mental Hygiene
Encyclopedia
The New York State Department of Mental Hygiene was founded in 1926 as part of a restructuring of the New York state government. This department was given responsibility for people diagnosed with mental retardation
, mental illness
or epilepsy
.
Dr. Frederick W. Parsons was appointed the first department Commissioner in January, 1927. He was replaced by Dr. William J. Tiffany in 1937, who then resigned in 1943 over an investigation into handling of an outbreak of amoebic dysentery
at Creedmoor State Hospital. By 1950, the department had grown into the largest agency of the New York state government, with more than 24,000 employees and an operating cost exceeding a third of the state budget.
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (OASAS) was transferred from the Department of Health
to the Department of Mental Hygiene in 1962. In 1978, the Department of Mental Hygiene was reorganized into the autonomous Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office of the Mental Retarded and the Developmentally Disabled (OMRDD), and the OASAS. These three offices are headed up by a Commissioner who also serves on a council that performs inter-office coordination.
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
, mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
or epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
.
Dr. Frederick W. Parsons was appointed the first department Commissioner in January, 1927. He was replaced by Dr. William J. Tiffany in 1937, who then resigned in 1943 over an investigation into handling of an outbreak of amoebic dysentery
Amoebic dysentery
Amoebic dysentery is a type of dysentery caused primarily by the amoeba Entamoeba histolytica. Amoebic dysentery is transmitted through contaminated food and water. Amoebae spread by forming infective cysts which can be found in stools, and spread if whoever touches them does not sanitize their...
at Creedmoor State Hospital. By 1950, the department had grown into the largest agency of the New York state government, with more than 24,000 employees and an operating cost exceeding a third of the state budget.
The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (OASAS) was transferred from the Department of Health
New York State Department of Health
The New York State Department of Health, ', is the governmental body responsible for public health in the state of New York. The cabinet-level department is headed by the Health Commissioner, a position held since January 24, 2011 by Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H.....
to the Department of Mental Hygiene in 1962. In 1978, the Department of Mental Hygiene was reorganized into the autonomous Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office of the Mental Retarded and the Developmentally Disabled (OMRDD), and the OASAS. These three offices are headed up by a Commissioner who also serves on a council that performs inter-office coordination.
Commissioners
- 1927–1937, Frederick W. Parsons
- 1937–1943, William J. Tiffany
- 1943–1950, Frederick MacCurdy
- 1950–1954, Newton Bigelow
- 1955–1964, Paul H. Hoch
- 1966–1974, Alan D. Miller
- 1975–?, Lawrence C. KolbLawrence KolbLawrence C. Kolb was an American psychiatrist who played a prominent role in mental health administration, research and community mental health....
- 1978–1982, James A. Prevost