Mental Health Act
Lauded by Hayman
The Alaska Mental Health Act
now before the U. S. Senate pro
vides for good procedures for the
territory’s mental health program
and criticisms of it in the states
appear to be based on misconcep
tions of the bill’s content, Dr.
Charles It. Hayman, acting commis
sioner of health, commented this
week. The bill already has passed
in the House of Representatives.
First of all, Dr. Hayman pointed
out, the proposed Act provides for
modern commitment and medical
treatment procedures for the men
tally ill instead of the present
methods in which a patient is ap
prehended by law officers, placed
in jail, charged with being insane,
and tried by a jury of laymen.
It gives to Alaska the responsi
bility and authority for hospitaliza
tion, care and treatment of its
mentally ill in place of the distant
federal government in Washington
whose Interior department has de
termined the disposition of the
territory’s “insane” since 1912. It
makes Alaska’s governor adminis
trator of the mental health pro
gram with power to delegate the
authority to the appropriate terri
torial agency.
The proposed Mental Health act,
Dr. Hayman continued, has broad
provisions for humane commit
ment and release, medical diagno
sis, treatment and care, both in
and out-patient care, self applica
tion for hospitalization by an indi
vidual seeking help, petition for
release from a mental hospital,
periodic review of cases by a lic
ensed physician, and many other
procedures for the protection and
aid of the mentally ill.
It provides for a land grant of
1,QG0,000 acres including mineral
rights, income from which by sale,
lease or use, is for support of Al
aska's mental health program.
It also provides for outright
grants of money over a 10-year per
iod to enable the territory to grad
ually assume the full financial sup
port of the program.
While the bill proposes a sum of
$6,500,000 for “construction of hos
pital and other facilities’’ in con
nection with carrying out of a com
prehensive mental health program
in Alaska, the health commissioner
pointed out, no single hospital or
hospital location is specified.
Under the terms of the mental
ROBIN HOOD IN REVERSE
Sponsored by Kodiak W.C.T.U.
heauh bill, application lor admit
tance for hospitalization may be
made by the patient, a friend, a
relative or guardian, health, wel
fare or police officer but the pa
tient must be examined by a lic
ensed physician to determine his
needs for care or treatment. His
legal guardian or other interested
parties must be notified of such
commitment to a hospital. Appeal
may be made, the case reviewed,
and a hearing held if necessity of
hospitalization is questioned by any
of the parties concerned including
the patient himself.
The proposed bill specifies that
exercise of civil rights, and of com
munication and visits with friends
and relatives shall be retained by
the patient. It also states that im
proved patients may be placed on
convalescent status.
Patients or their guardians, rela
tives or friends may request dis
charge. There are many other safe
guards for the protection of rights
and privileges of patients.
The bill also contains provisions
for care of Alaskans in other state
hospitals and care of out-of-state
patients in Alaska hospitals on a
reciprocal and reimbursable basis
In the case of patients from
other states, the bill gives Alaska’s
governor authority to return the
patient to the state of which he is
a resident. If the patient or his
guardian refuse to consent to this
return, the governor may order the
patient’s discharge from the Alas
ka hospital unless he is certified
by the head of the hospital to be
dangerous to himself or others
whereupon the governor may have
proceedings initiated for judicial
hospitalization and mandatory re
turn to the state of his residence.
SLUMS TO BE REMOVED
FEDERAL FUNDS AVAILABLE
Anchorage has received Federa
approval of its program designee
to free the community of slum
and blight. This approval of th<
City’s Workable Program by th<
Housing and Home Finance Agen
cy Administrator. Albert M. Cole
was announced by L. R. Durkee
Seattle Area Representative fo
that Agency. Durkee further state<
that Mr. Cole has notified the Ur
ban Renewal Administration am
the Federal Housing Administra
tion, constituents of the Housini
and Home Finance Agency, of hi
approval of the program and ha
certifed that Federal assistanci
provided under the Housing Ac
of 1954 may be made available ti
Anchorage.
Federal assistance for which An
chorage is now eligible include
advances of funds for survey am
planning work on urban renews
projects and loans and grants fo
such projects. Special FHA urba
renewal mortgage insurance to a:
sist in financing rehabilitation o
existing dwellngs and constructs
of new ones is also now available
RESEARCH SCIENTIST
JOINS FISHERIES STAFF
Dr. William A. Smoker, fisheries
research biologist of Seattle, Wash
ington, has been added to the staff
of the Alaska Department of Fish
eries according to word received
from C. L. Anderson, director of
the Department.
Dr. Smoker has just completed
nine years in research with the
Washington Department of Fish
eries where he directed fresh wa
ter research on salmon. Previous
to World War II duty, he worked
with the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries
in California on Shasta Dam prob
lems. He has had a wide back
ground in fisheries research, par
ticularly in fresh water phases.
Dr. Smoker’s work with the De
partment will be on environmental
studies on the fresh water phase
of young red and coho salmon
with the ultimate goal of increas
ing the production of these species
SPRING LUNCHEON TODAY
The Emblem Club announces its
annual Spring Luncheon and Bake
Sale, which will be held today, be
ginning at 11:00 a. m. and continu
ing until 2:00 p. m.
This popular event, held every
year, will again be at the Elks
Club. The general public is invited.
Home cooking is the specialty.
Only 10 days remain to file your
Federal Income Tax return. As
the Revenue Department says:
“There’s no time like the present
to get busy.” Remember, too, there
are penalties for not filing, and
for filing too late.
NOTICE
If you can not get us on phone
3131, call 4303 for oil delivery. Of
fice hours, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mon
day through Thursday, 1 p.m. to 7
p.m. Friday.
Thompson Transfer
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*t¥ele TftcU
ELKS CLUB
April 28th
Hawaiian Floor Show - Food
Wear your Aloha shirts, Sarongs
or Muumuus
ca
CAROL’S
SPRING
SPRING
SPRING
Cottons bv Toni Todd
$8.95 - $9.95 - $10.95
Store Hours 10-7
Blinn Bldg.
Fri. 9-8
Phone 3192
Vote for
• •
Frank A. Metcalf, C.E.
Registered Civil Engineer
Democratic Candidate
for
Territorial Highway Engineer
42 years continuous professional engineering
in the Territory