New York State Department of Mental Hygiene/Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (NYS DMH/OMRDD) [RESTRICTED], 1975-1981
Restricted- Extent:
- 7.6 cubic ft.
- Scope and content:
- The series consists of correspondence, reports, and other materials relating to the implementation of the Willowbrook Consent Decree by the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene (known as the 'Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities' from 1978 to the present). The papers are arranged alphabetically, some by topic (e.g., Community Residential Facilities, Hepatitis B Carriers), others by office of origin (e.g., Office of Counsel); in most cases these reflect the original record-keeping system. The two largest groups of materials in the series are: Commissioner's Correspondence which includes correspondence to and from the four men who held the office of DMH/OMRDD commissioner from 1975 to 1981; and Technical Assistance Unit/Consent Decree Office which includes materials by and about the specific office of the DMH/OMRDD charged with implementing the Consent Decree. The series is restricted because it contains information about specific named residents of Willowbrook and other state developmental centers. Most of the material in this series is in letter-sized format. The last box contains legal-sized material in a separate alphabetical arrangement.
- Arrangement:
- Arranged alphabetically.
Contents
Using these materials
- Access:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- Restrictions:
- Must consult archivist before viewing this material.
- Collection restrictions:
- The Willowbrook Review Panel was a Federal monitoring group established by the U.S. District Court in 1975 and was dismissed from its duties in 1987. The records were house at the American Civil Liberties Union office until cleared by the National Archives for restricted access in 2002. Portions of series 1-10 are restricted due to the personal information in the records. Researchers must complete a non-disclosure form before gaining access and reproductions are not permitted. Counsel for the plantiffs or members of the Review Panel may continue to have access to the records without restriction.
- Collection terms of access:
- The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.