FROM THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN E. FOGARTY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 15, 1965

In a speech on the floor of the Houseof Representatives
yesterday, Congressman John #. Fogarty expressed keen dis-
appointment at the failure of theéGovernor of the State of
Rhode Islend to take advantage of all the Federal assistance
available in the fields of mental retardation and mental
health. In his speech the Congressman stated:

“During the past three years this Congress has brought
about a revolution in the area of mental health and mental
retardation. The Mental Retardation Facilities and CGom-
munity Mental Health Center Construction Act of 1963 is a
landmark in the history of a humane national concern for
those afflicted with this malady. But the Congress found
it was not enough to provide all the impetus needed. This
year, we added amendments to the act to allow for the staff-
ing assistants for mental health centers and we authorized
even greater expenditures than had originally been planned
for mental retardation,

I personally take great pride in the fact that as
Chairman of the Appropriation Sub-Committee of the House
of Representatives, I participated in the action of the
88th and 89th Congresses to enact these laws to provide
funds to stimulate construction of mental health centers and
mental retaddation facilities. As you know, this legislation
was designed as a stimulus. We in Congress have no interest
in supplanting local or state programs with Federal programs.

We left the next step up to the individual state itself.
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Federal funds were available but they provided only enough
to interest the community and state in attempting to find
additional amounts of financing.

The Act and amendments require that a state plan for
use of the allotted funds be prepared opening the way for
individual communities to develop their own local plans for
participation in the program, and as I see it, this is true
cooperation between the Federal Government and State.

It is, therefore, with a great deal of sadness that I
observed the slowness with which the Governor of my own
State of Rhode Island has moved to avail us of this Federal
assistance. Our citizens have suffered from lack of leader-
ship in a field where dynamic leadership is vital. In the
area of mental health, for example, our Governor's Compre-
hensive State Mental Health Plan recommends a permanent
Governor's council on mental health with full-time pro-
fessional and clerical staff. The plan emphasizes distinct
features of the state; its small and geographic size and
comparatively easy geographical accessibility to mental
health centers developed within our state. And I must con-
fess that it is a mystery to me why Rhode Island has not been
in the forefront of this movement nationally. Already seven
states have submitted Center plans which have been approved;
four others are pending. These states with approved plans
inelude two with the largest populations -- California and

New York. If thesé two with their immensely complex problems
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“and broad geographic variations can act to take advantage
of Federal assistance in the Center construction program--
so toocan Rhode Island.

Specific recommendations regarding sources, methods,
and levels of financing of mental health programs are lacking
altogether in the Rhode Island Comprehensive Plan -- these
must be provided, and soon, by responsible Rhode Island
State officials.

It is just unbelievable that Rhode Island is dragging
its feet so badly in this area. Costly or not, the Council's
goals are clearly reasonable and these goals are urgent.
Failure to provide care can result in more profound, more in-
tractable illness. Hach year of delay in providing such
services produces its own harvest of despair and makes recov-
ery and rehabilitation more difficult and expensive.

I have sought on many occasions to promote national
programs built on the sound principle that mental health is
public health and this must include both preventive and
rehabilitative resources to reduce the burden of disabllity
that individuals and communities must suffer. I urge at-
tention to this principle upon the officials inomy own state.

Mr. Chairman, our state officials are guilty of sins of
omission. They have not pushed ahead to take advantage of
the goportunities available to them. In Rhode Island I can-
not understand this attitude. It seems to me that one of

the qualities needed for true leadership is the ability to
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recognize opportunity when it arises. Federal assistance
in the mental health and mental retardation programs provide
opportunity for those of our citizens who have suffered
without the help they deserve. JI for one would like to see

qualities of leadership put on display in my home state."

Mr. Fogarty also commented on the fact that the Governor
recently complained about the rates being paid Counselors in
the Poverty Program. In this regard, the Congressman stated,
*T am somewhat surprised by the Governor's concern inasmuch
as the state minimum rate of $5. per hour for certificated
counselors is precisely the rate to be paid in the Providence
project. The Governor has earlier approved other Neigshbor-
hood Youth Corps projects paying the same ninimum rates to
counselors. He has also approved an Office of Heonomic Op~
portunity grant to the Providance School system which pro-

vides a $6.00 rate for counselors."