New York State Office of Mental Health Office of Counsel Legislative Files

Organized into two subseries: 1. Correspondence Files; 2. Subject Files.

Correspondence Files: chronological.

This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, minutes, rough notes, newspaper clippings, proposed legislation, reports, publications, legal briefs, trial transcripts, and other printed material.

The bulk of these files were compiled or generated by Martin Faust, who acted as Deputy Counsel with the Department of Mental Hygiene's Office of Counsel. As such, Faust was involved mainly with the drafting of new legislation pertaining to mental illness. In addition, this series contains files dealing with the Constitutional Convention of 1967, the Joint Legislative Committee on Mental and Physical Handicaps, discharges and conditional releases of patients in mental health facilities, community services, and state aid programs. Finally, there are transcripts, subject files, and legal records pertaining to a criminal trial which was eventually appealed to the Court of Appeals.

General subject/partial folder list is available at the repository.

Restricted in accordance with Mental Hygiene Law, Section 33.13, relating to confidentiality of clinical records. Access is permitted under certain conditions upon approval by the Office of Mental Health.