Executive Order

Executive Order  No. 201: Special commission on Department of Mental Health facilities

Date: 09/04/1981
Issuer: Edward J. King
Mass Register: No. 278

Table of Contents

WHEREAS, the commonwealth is obligated to provide the most comprehensive mental health care as is effectively possible to those in need; and

WHEREAS, inflationary costs for all departmental operations stand in direct defiance to the limited fiscal resources available; and

WHEREAS, my administration promises to continue its successes in delivering those services that our population requires,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Edward J. King, Governor of the Commonwealth, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Supreme Magistrate, do hereby order as follows:

1. There is created a special commission, to be known as the Special Commission on Department of Mental Health Facilities, to consist of nine members who shall serve without compensation. The members of the Special Commission are to be appointed as follows, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor: 

(a) The House and Senate Chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs,

(b) Two members of the House of Representatives to be designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,

(c) One member of the Senate to be designated by the President of the Senate,

(d) Four members to be designated by the Governor. The Governor shall designate, from time to time, one member to act as chairman.

2. The Special Commission shall form from within its own membership, the several sub-committees necessary to comprehensively effectuate the purposes of this order. The chairman of the Special Commission as designated in the preceding paragraph shall further be responsible to nominate sub-committee chairmen as requested.

3. The Special Commission is to engage in an all encompassing analysis of the present physical resources available to the Department, whether it be state owned property allocated to departmental use, or privately owned property leased for the department's purposes; and the programs conducted within these facilities. A primary goal of this study is to develop a cost efficient space utilization program. Factors to be considered in achieving this goal shall include, but are not limited to the under-utilization of space at these state facilities; the cost to the commonwealth of renovating state facilities: the cost to the commonwealth for leasing private property when public space is available; the feasibility of consolidating the delivery of services at widespread state facilities; the development of alternative employment for department facilities which may be phased out due to consolidation or abandonment; and the contracting with outside facilities and organizations for the use of space under departmental control.

4. The Special Commission is authorized to call upon any secretariat, office department, board, commission, councilor other agency of the executive branch of state government under its jurisdiction and any officer, employee or member thereof, to supply such statistical data, program reports and other information and materials as the Special Commission deems necessary or appropriate to perform its mandate.

5. The Special Commission shall submit an interim report of its findings to the Governor by January 25, 1982.

6. This order shall take effect immediately and shall continue in force until acceptance by the Governor of the Special Commission's final report.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this 4th day of September in the year of Our Lord on thousand nine hundred and eighty-one and of the independence of the United States of America two hundred and six.

EDWARD J. KING

Governor

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

MICHAEL JOSEPH CONNOLLY

Secretary of the Commonwealth

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