Milford chronicle., 1923-05-25
Amt It He'll?
MENTAL HEALTH AS A STATE CONCERN
Editorial Phila. North American)

(Edltor1aI Ph1la North American)
For many reasons the problem of the feeble-minded
their proper care and treatment protection of the
public against spread of their kinds major consider
alton among matters of social welfare Not so MANY
ago comparatively little attention given this subject
as whole perhaps because of overhangng subcon-
that disease of the mind we'll the body was
an act of Providence Now having Invested ourselves
such belief better prepared to deal intelligenv
with those who mentally sick
We still have with a large number of people who
think custodial constitutes the only method of
ing this situation Even this So probably no state
in the Union is equipped with anything like adequate IA
clities to carry out such a task
In the estimate those who have made most carafr1
study of this situation there certain other measures
equally fundamental and important and to educate the
public in these and at the time built up system
OF state care which will fully the need is the aim and
purpose of the bureau of mental health the Pennsyva
mia department of public welfare and the goal toward
which its comprehensive plans directed.
This clearly brought out at the recent APhila-
dephia Conference Social Work. in an address BY Dr.
William c. Sandy director of this bureau who made it
clear that an adequate state proper dealing
with mental detectives requires machinery the follow
ing essential operations:
First for early Identification the sooner mental
y deficient is found the younger he is the
more promising will be the efforts to train in good
habits and in accordance with limited capacities:
second for examination and classification thorough
PhJSCdI anu MENTAL survey DeIng needed
understanding of mentality; third for training and
treatment, there often being found remediable pbvsi
cal defects which have bearing apparent mental
suDnormaIty, and training constituting a necessary
institutional and community function; fourth for SUI
perVlslon IN the community, and, fifth custodial
care providing for the protection of those having i'm
proper guardianship and segregation of those who are
to society.
AT the present time, according to conservative esti
mates institutional provision for the such defec
ves in this state is pfully inadequate the combined
capacity of the private three stae-owned ns
tuons being not than 4OOO while there are at least
10000 mental detectives outside of institutions this
state.
Gas yet" said Doctor Sandy Pennsylvania has prac-
Icay no provision for the segregation and continued
troll of defective denquents those types which make up
proportion of the repeaters corrective and
penal Institutions He then called attention TO the es
adjustment of mental health clinics various parts of the
state move made possible by the active cooperation of
he superintendent of the mental hospitals who furnish
he consutants and various agents interested securing
such service
There twenty-one mental health clinics hav-
regularly occurring sessions which both adults and
children manesting difficulties of adaptation perhaps due
% mental disorder defect may brought for
and advice The close utilization the de-
'arment of public instruction and the local author
ties with the various Clinics makes the facilities the
after available to school children who early their
career finding it hard to progress the regular school
work. or who are causing anxiety because of behavior dis
rders Unless the community in turn it's part in the
of establishing special classes and social service IA
lities the effectiveness of the clinics will be greatly
essened.
Although the bureau is thoroughly accord with the
policy of complete state of mental detectives yet in
Jew of the present difficulty in obtaining funds extern
IONS the only plan Immediately meeting the urgent de- In
nand for beds is enabling legislation license suit
bile county hospitals discontinued institutions for the
for the of certain cusodal types of menta
detectives and arranging for partial reimbursement of 10
he county by the state. Such plan will also relieve the
resent institutions of certain cusodal types incapable of
urther training, making for the younger more
promising better suited to profit by the instruction
provided. "
addition to what has already accomplished in
his line the bureau is definitely committed to policy of
complete state for mental detectives well for
Their classes of mental PATIENTS to establishment c
for the early Identification examination and advice of IN
mental detectives to devise system of social service for
rehabilitation and charging community super
ision AS important feature Of this work. state nsu
ions will be developed research and training ceners
nd increase of such institutions will be sought
"Surely the public welfare demands the permanent Sc
regaton of detectives who have proven to be continual e
to the community and who released often
er several short sentences only to be repeatedly return p
each time after expensive court procedures Doc V
Sandy OF course he is sound in this contention But
efore hope for full ron of such plans he has
uned it will be necessary to educate the mentally eff
lent part of the public to the reality of Mis- need ri