Rhode Island Society for Mental Hygiene records

The Rhode Island Society for Mental Hygiene was incorporated in 1916 as part of the mental hygiene movement that was started by Clifford Whittingham Beers in 1908. Working in this movement from its founding until his death, Beers was a man with lived experience of institutionalization at private and state facilities who sought to advocate for improved practices, treatments, and public awareness to support individuals with mental illnesses. The first Society for Mental Hygiene was founded in Connecticut, and expanded into other states such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the 1910s to form a National Committee for Mental Hygiene. The Committee was renamed the National Mental Health Association, and renamed a second time as Mental Health America. Accordingly, the Rhode Island Society for Mental Hygiene was renamed Rhode Island Association for Mental Health, Inc in 1957 and later the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island in 1977 as a non-profit organization.

In the years captured by this collection, the Rhode Island Society for Mental Hygiene held several “clinic” locations in Rhode Island, including Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls. The Society partnered with schools near its clinics, with recreational organizations such as the Boys and Girl Scouts, the Young Men’s Christian’s Association, and with medical organizations such as the Red Cross and the Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. These programs emphasized early identification and prevention of mental illness during childhood as a best practice promoted by the mental hygiene movement. These programs also targeted participants who would not otherwise access mental health services from the state or private institutions due to their class status.