Scope and Content: The Division of Mental Retardation of the Department of Mental Health, under the direction of the assistant commissioner for mental retardation, was responsible for supervising, planning, and advising on all programs conducted by the department for mentally retarded persons (responsibilities since 1986 held by the Department of Mental Retardation). Administrative files are those of the assistant commissioner of mental retardation.
Restrictions: Mental retardation client data restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 123B, s 17: cannot be viewed except with the permission of the commissioner of mental retardation, Research Review Committee, or institution superintendent; access by data subjects, guardians, third parties with permission and authorized department employees is not restricted. Personal information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 4, s 7, d 26(c) and c 66A
Related Catalog Records:
Administrative files [Massachusetts Division of Mental Retardation]
Subject files [Massachusetts Division of Mental Retardation]
Scope and Content: The Division of Mental Retardation of the Dept. of Mental Health had administrative oversight of public institutions for mentally retarded clients and care of such individuals living outside institutions, as does its successor the Dept. of Mental Retardation. Much of this material was created by the division in response to consent decrees imposed by federal courts resulting from suits brought by client advocates and guardians. A court-appointed monitor directed detailed corrections of individual treatment facilities and client programs during this period. These subject files contain correspondence with advocacy groups, statistical information, internal memoranda, certification reports, assessments of institutional needs, surveys of conditions and services, and correction reports.
Related Catalog Records:
Administrative files [Massachusetts Office for Children Statewide Advisory Council]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role of advising the commissioner of the Office for Children on policy, planning, and priorities of need for services to children (MGLA c 28A, s 8), the council meets to review office regulations, budgets, programs, and policies. Series is created to support this activity.
Notes: Scheduled as: Meeting minutes and correspondence
Related Catalog Records:
Advocacy unit regional interagency team reports [Massachusetts Office for Children]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role as advocate for services to children in Massachusetts, the Office for Children coordinates such services in privately funded and particularly public programs, evaluating and monitoring programs in departments and agencies within the Executive Office of Human Services and other executive offices (MGLA c 28A, s 4). Through FY1991 the office’s advocacy unit in its Help for Children Program provided comprehensive information, referral, and advocacy services to assure children appropriate social, health, or financial support, administered on a community basis through ca. 43 area offices grouped under ca. six regional offices. Cases involving such service needs not resolvable on a area level were referred to an interagency (interdepartmental) childrens’ services team convened by the office from human services (public health, mental health, mental retardation, social services) and education agencies, first at the regional office level and then if necessary at the central office level, to identify needed services and to designate appropriate provider agencies (MGLA c 28A, s 6A). Series was created to analyze regionally convened team disposition of such cases.
Notes: Scheduled as: Interagency team reports. Series incomplete
Related Catalog Records:
Advocacy unit regional chairpersons minutes [Massachusetts Office for Children]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role as advocate for services to children in Massachusetts, the Office for Children coordinates such services in privately funded and particularly public programs, evaluating and monitoring programs in departments and agencies within the Executive Office of Human Services and other executive offices (MGLA c 28A, s 4). Through FY1991 the office’s advocacy unit in its Help for Children Program provided comprehensive information, referral, and advocacy services to assure children appropriate social, health, or financial support, administered on a community basis through ca. 43 area offices. These offices, grouped under ca. six regional offices, were supported by volunteer area-based councils for children, which were given technical assistance by the central office’s Community Development Program and were mandated (MGLA c 28A, s 7) to evaluate local services for children, identify related needs, and review for the office proposals for state or federal funding of such services. Chairpersons of area councils met regularly at the regional level (regional leadership councils or committees) to exchange information and discuss proposals and programs. Series was created to administer and document these meetings.
Arrangement: Arranged numerically by region, thereunder chronologically
Notes: Minutes for Region I transferred from: Advocacy unit regional administrator reports ((M-Ar)1779X) Series incomplete
Related Catalog Records:
Advocacy unit subject files [Massachusetts Office for Children]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role as advocate for services to children in Massachusetts, the Office for Children coordinates such services in privately funded and particularly public programs, evaluating and monitoring programs in departments and agencies within the Executive Office of Human Services and other executive offices (MGLA c 28A, s 4). Through FY1991 the office’s advocacy unit in its Help for Children Program provided comprehensive information, referral, and advocacy services to assure children appropriate social, health, or financial support, administered on a community basis through ca. 43 area offices grouped under ca. six regional offices. Series was created by the office’s director (commissioner from 1987) to provide policy and procedural background in administering advocacy unit programs.
Arrangement: Arranged in part chronologically
Notes: Scheduled as: Director’s subject file
Related Catalog Records:
Commissioner’s budget files [Massachusetts Office for Children]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role (MGLA c 28A) as advocate for services to children in Massachusetts, the Office for Children coordinates such services in public and privately funded programs and regulates providers of day care and substitute care for children. Series is created for the office director (commissioner from 1987) to prepare and track annual budget requests submitted to the General Court.
Notes: Scheduled as: Budgetary testimony
Related Catalog Records:
Advocacy unit annual statistical activity reports [Massachusetts Office for Children]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role as advocate for services to children in Massachusetts, the Office for Children coordinates such services in privately funded and particularly public programs, evaluating and monitoring programs in departments and agencies within the Executive Office of Human Services and other executive offices (MGLA c 28A, s 4). Through FY1991 the office’s advocacy unit in its Help for Children Program provided comprehensive information, referral, and advocacy services to assure children appropriate social, health, or financial support, administered on a community basis through ca. 43 area offices grouped under ca. six regional offices. Series was created by central office to quantify cases handled and their disposition on area and regional bases.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Also known as: Help for Children statistical reports. Statistics for 1978-1979, 1983 lacking
Related Catalog Records:
Advocacy unit regional administrator reports [Massachusetts Office for Children]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role as advocate for services to children in Massachusetts, the Office for Children coordinates such services in privately funded and particularly public programs, evaluating and monitoring programs in departments and agencies within the Executive Office of Human Services and other executive offices (MGLA c 28A, s 4). Through FY1991 the office’s advocacy unit in its Help for Children Program provided comprehensive information, referral, and advocacy services to assure children appropriate social, health, or financial support, administered on a community basis through ca. 43 area offices. These offices, supported by volunteer area-based councils for children, were grouped under ca. six regional offices, which continue to be responsible for the Office for Children’s regulation of day care and substitute care providers. Series was created to administer office regional director responsibilities for planning childrens’ services.
Arrangement: Arranged numerically by region, thereunder chronologically
Notes: Minutes for Region I transferred to: Advocacy unit regional chairperson minutes ((M-Ar)1789X) Reports for Region III transferred from: Advocacy unit regional administrator minutes ((M-Ar)1775X) Scheduled as: Regional administrative task force reports. Series incomplete: files for Regions I and III only
Related Catalog Records:
Advocacy unit central interagency team reports [Massachusetts Office for Children]
Scope and Content: In its statutory role as advocate for services to children in Massachusetts, the Office for Children coordinates such services in privately funded and particularly public programs, evaluating and monitoring programs in departments and agencies within the Executive Office of Human Services and other executive offices (MGLA c 28A, s 4). Through FY1991 the office’s advocacy unit in its Help for Children Program provided comprehensive information, referral, and advocacy services to assure children appropriate social, health, or financial support, administered on a community basis through ca. 43 area offices grouped under ca. six regional offices. Cases involving such service needs not resolvable on a area level were referred to an interagency (interdepartmental) childrens’ services team convened by the office from human services (public health, mental health, mental retardation, social services) and education agencies, first at the regional office level and then if necessary at the central office level, to identify needed services and to designate appropriate provider agencies (MGLA c 28A, s 6A). Series was created to analyze centrally convened team review of such cases.
Arrangement: Arranged in part chronologically
Notes: Scheduled as: Interagency team reports
Related Catalog Records:
Meta
Search collections
Collection categories
Browse collections
