Evening star., 1954-11-03
Blocked Mental Program

fSee editorial. Treatment for the
Mentally Hl.")
The District Mental Health Associa-
tion has considered with great interest
the excellent article by Miriam Often
berg on the first page of The Sunday
Star OF October II, entitled Legal Rul-
Ing Blocks Mental Health Program"
The District Mental Health Association,
as you are probably aware, like its
fellow mental health associations in
many of the States and other cities Of
the country, is devoted to ta) the pre-
vention of mental illness, (b) the inn
provement of the care and treatment
of the mentally i'll, and (e) the promo
ton and maintenance Of good mental
health.
We were quite shocked to learn Of
the Corporation CounserS ruling to the
effect that the District General Hos
pital is without authority to treat for
mental illness the more than 100 per-
sons per month, who are brought in
by the police or sent to the hospital
by the courts; and that the hospitals
only authority with respect to such per-
sons Is to detain, observe and examine
them. The excellent work being done
in the District General Hospital with
respect to voluntary patients makes it
manifest that the restrictions as to
involuntary" patients must be removed
If the hospital is to function in the
psychiatric field as a great hospital
should. Moreover, while it is difficult
to measure such things, it would seem
that society's interest in the treatment
of the involuntary patients is greater
than in the treatment of the others, for
such involuntary patients would not be
in the hospital in the first place if they
had not already preached one of soci-
ety's rules. Also such patients are uSu-
ally persons who can least afford to
pay for private psychiatric assistance.
We fully appreciate the Corporation
Counsels concern about the possibility
of successful suits against the doctors
who treat these involuntary patients,
through electric shock treatment or
otherwise, without being specifically
authorized by law to do SO. We think,
however. that the community would be
derelict in its responsibilities If it did
not bring the matter to the attention
of the proper congressional authorities,
so that legislation might be passed
authorizing full psychiatric treatment
of involuntary patients at the District
General Hospital. Miss Ottenberg's ar
ticle is an opening step in this direction,
and we would now urge The Star, which
has long been in the forefront OF the
battle to make the District General
Hospital true treatment center for
psychiatric patients. to join with us IN
pressing upon the District Commis-
sioners the need for the remedial legis-
lation referred to. The matter is of such
urgency that we feel the Commissioners
should have such legislation prepared
and ready for submission to the Con-
gress when it reconvenes in January.
Our association stands ready to assist
in the preparation of such legislation
if that is desired
The suggested legislation would help
cut down the number Of persons COM
mitted to st. Elizabeths and conse-
quently would help cut down the pres
ent annual bill Of SO million for main
tanning st. Elizabeths. The money thus
saved could then be put to other ex-
tremely important uses in the mental
health field in the District, such as the
employment of much-needed additional
psychiatric help at the D. c. Division of
Mental Health and the appointment of
clinical psychologists for the public
schools.
G. Rowland Shaw,
President, D. c. Mental Health
Association.