Under Massachusetts law, the Department of Mental Health (DMH) may disclose facility records of a former institutional patient who has been deceased more than 50 years to a “Close Relative.” To qualify as a Close Relative, the requestor must be the deceased patient’s spouse, child, grandchild, great grandchild, sibling, a niece or nephew or grandniece or grandnephew descended from a sibling, or the decedent’s aunt, uncle, first cousins (direct decedents of an aunt or uncle).
To obtain facility records for a deceased patient, please complete and sign this attestation form. DMH will review your completed record request form to determine if sufficient information has been provided or if additional verification is required. If your record request is approved, DMH will perform a reasonably diligent search for responsive records to fulfill your request. DMH may or may not find responsive records. Any personal information about other patients or relatives may be redacted to protect the privacy of those person(s).