Maryland. Department of Mental Hygiene

Established in 1949, the Department of Mental Hygiene supervised, directed, and controlled all state institutions for the care or treatment of the mentally ill (Laws of 1949, ch. 685). The department assumed the duties of the Board of Mental Hygiene and institutional boards of managers, which were abolished. In addition to their control of mental health facilities, the department was empowered to license and inspect any institution, public or private, having custody of the mentally ill.

The department was under the executive direction of a commissioner, who was appointed by the governor with approval of the Mental Hygiene Advisory Board. Within the department were two divisions, each supervised by a chief appointed by the commissioner with a recommendation of the advisory board. The Division of Psychiatric Education and Training advised and consulted with hospital personnel concerning psychiatric services, nursing, rehabilitation, social work, and food preparation. The Division of Administration and Finance directed the personnel, budget and accounting, procurement and farm management, engineering and finance, and public relations matters of the subordinate institutions.

Additional departmental responsibilities were performed by two boards. The Mental Hygiene Advisory Board counselled the governor and commissioner in professional and technical matters relating to the administration of the department. The Mental Hygiene Board of Review inspected mental health institutions twice yearly and reported annually their findings to the governor, General Assembly, and commissioner. In 1961, both boards were superceded by the State Board of Health and Mental Hygiene (Laws of 1961, ch. 841).

In 1969, the Department of Mental Hygiene was superceded by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (Laws of 1969, ch. 77).