The University of Massachusetts Amherst
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Northampton (Mass.) Area Mental Health Services

Northampton Area Mental Health Services Records

1973-1983
4 boxes 6 linear feet
Call no.: MS 027

In 1973 Hampshire Day House was established to provide day treatment to patients released from the Northampton State Hospital, which first opened as the Northampton Lunatic Asylum in 1858. As the Day House expanded its services it became known as the Northampton Area Mental Health Services (NAMHS). Valley Programs assumed responsibility for the operation of residential programs for deinstitutionalized individuals in Hampshire and Franklin counties in 1983, and seven years later the NAMHS and Valley Programs merged.

The collection consists of reports, financial records, board minutes, and correspondence for the Hampshire Day House.

Background on Northampton Area Mental health Services

In 1970, Anthony Virgilo, aware that the Northampton School for Girls was about to vacate their campus, set out to fill a gap in the area’s community mental health services by establishing a “comprehensive center with children’s residential and adult outpatient services” on the site. The Associations for Mental Health and Retarded Citizens were enlisted to begin a lobbying the state to appropriate $1,000,000 to purchase the property.

During the three years of bureaucratic delays with the state, the Hampshire Day House committee searched for a temporary home and found it in the Conant House on Pomeroy Terrace. This temporary house became a day treatment facility, opening its doors on February 15, 1973, with funding from the state as well as local hospitals and citizens.

In 1974, the owners of the 11 buildings that made up the Northampton School for Girls, tired of delays from the state, sold the property to a local church and private investors. The mental health community responded with frustration and anger. In the wake of protests, the state agreed to buy seven of the buildings recently sold and renovate those for the program.

In 1975, however, just as the Hampshire Day House thought they were finally going to begin the renovation process, the buildings were vandalized, and plumbing, heating and even the electrical fixtures were destroyed, making the buildings uninhabitable. With no more funds to rent and the threat of having the Conant House sold right out from underneath them, Mental Health Commissioner Goldman stepped in. Without delay, he offered to finance HDH’s stay at 71 Pomeroy Terrace for the next five years while the Northampton School for Girls property was renovated.

In 1979, the Department of Mental Health Services received approval to renovate the Hathaway House, located on the property of the former School for Girls, and offered it as a permanent home to the Hampshire Day House. On December 12, 1982, days before HDH was set to move to their new location, the building was destroyed in a fire.

Despite the delays and acts of vandalism, the Hampshire Day House continued to thrive and provide services to those who needed them. It became a safe haven for the mentally ill where they were provided with group activities, arts and crafts, therapeutic sessions, and trips to local areas of interest.

In 1983, Hampshire Day House expanded its services to including outpatient and other mental health services and changed its name to Northampton Area Mental Health Services (NAMHS). Over the next twelve years, the newly named NAMHS merged two more times, resulting in its current name ServiceNet. Currently they have expanded its services to the local community from mental health services to behavioral health services, addiction and abuse.

Contents of Collection

The records of the Northampton Area Mental Health Services offer insight into the administrative management of the program. With an emphasis on the financial operation and its partnership with the Department of Mental Health, the collection does not focus on client treatment or services. Materials included are correspondence, minutes, newspaper articles, audits, financial documents, and mental health manuals/procedures, representing the Hampshire Day House from its conception in 1970 to its merger in 1983 with Northampton Area Mental Health Services.

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Inventory of Collection
Accounting System Specifications for Department of Mental Health Vendors 1981 Box 1: 1
Annual Report for Ambulatory Care Facilities 1974 Box 1: 2
Annual Report to Board of Directors and Staff 1984 Box 1: 3
Blue Cross Reimbursment Agreement 1977 Box 1: 4
Board Letters of Resignation 1976-1979 Box 1: 5
Board Members Listing: Board Members Business Letters 1974-1977 Box 1: 6
Business Letters 1974-1978 Box 1: 7
Business Services for Medicine INC.: Proposal for Hampshire Day House 1981 Box 1: 8
Certificate of Corporate Vote 1975-1977 Box 1: 9
Certificate of Existance 1975-1978 Box 1: 10
Community Client Record System Handbook 1980 Box 1: 11
Congressional Correspondence: City Hall Correspondence 1981 Box 1: 12
Connecticut General Insurance Reimbursment Justification 1981 Box 1: 13
Consent Decree, Determination of Funding Adequacy and Justification 1980 Box 1: 14
Contract for Lease: Correspondence 1979-1984 Box 1: 15
Contract Proposal 1979-1981 Box 1: 16
Contract Procurment Manual 1980 Part 1 Box 1: 17
Contract Procurment Manual 1980 Part 2 Box 1: 18
Contract Procurment Manual 1980 Part 3 Box 1: 19
Contract Procurment Manual 1980 Part 4 Box 1: 20
Control Data Medical Services undated Box 1: 21
Cost Reporting 1978-1981 Box 1: 22
Daily Hampshire Gazette Newspaper Clipping 1981 Box 1: 23
Department of mental Health Adequacy Request and Instruction 1982 Box 1: 24
Department of Mental health Affirmative Action 1981 Part 1 Box 1: 25
Department of Mental Health Affirmative Action 1981 Part 2 Box 1: 26
Department of Mental Health Affirtative Action Plan 1981 Box 1: 27
Department of Mental Health Office Correspondence 1981 Box 1: 28
Department of Mental Health Approval Services 1977 Box 1: 29
Department of Mental Health Central Office Bulletins 1981 Box 1: 30
Department of Mental Health Contracts/Amendments 1981 Box 1: 31
Department of Mental Health Contract Draft Budget 1982 Box 1: 32
Department of Mental Health Contract and Amended Budgets 1982 Box 1: 33
Department of Mental Health Contract Ammendment 1981 Box 1: 34
Department of Mental Health Contract and Amendment B 1982 Box 1: 35
Department of Mental Health Contracts and Ammendments 1981-1982 Box 1: 36
Dempartment of Mental Health Contract Forms 1983 Box 1: 37
Department of Mental Health Contract Proposal and Adolescent Placement 1981 Box 1: 38
Department of Mental Health Contract Package Forms and Cleaning Contract 1981-1982 Box 1: 39
Department of Mental Health Correspondence, Agreement and Financial Agreements 1981 Box 1: 40
Department of Mental Health, Mental Health Regulations Draft 1981 Box 2: 1
Department of Mental Health Partnership Agreement and Operating Manual 1977 Box 2: 2
Department of Mental Health Partnership Agreement 1977-1978 Box 2: 3
Department of Mental Health Partnership Agreements 1980 Box 2: 4
Department of Mental Health Partnership Agreement 1982 Box 2: 5
Department of Mental Health Trust Fund Memorandom 1979 Box 2: 6
Department of Public Health, Annual Mental Health Report 1978 Box 2: 7
Department of Public Health, Application for Determination of Need undated Box 2: 8
Employer’s Quarterly Report 1976-1979 Box 2: 9
Executive Office of Health Services, General Conditions undated Box 2: 10
Fair Information Practices Act 1975 Box 2: 11
Federal Census of Service 1977 Box 2: 12
Federal Tax Return 1976-1981 Box 2: 13
Federal Tax Return Correspondence 1980-1981 Box 2: 14
Fight Mental Illness Correspondence 1971 Box 2: 15
Fight Mental Illness Correspondence 1972 Box 2: 16
Fight Mental Illness Correspondence 1973 Box 2: 17
Fight Mental Illness Correspondence 1974 Box 2: 18
Finance Commitee 1981-1982 Box 2: 19
Fire Damage Reports and Correspondence 1981 Box 2: 20
First Draft Position Paper on the Northampton State Hospital Consent Decree 1976 Box 2: 21
Fiscal Record Correspondence 1981-1982 Box 2: 22
Fiscal Record Correspondence 1981-1982 Box 2: 23
Hampshire County Purchasing Department 1981-1982 Box 2: 24
Hampshire Day House: 10th Anniversary Celebration Invitations 1983 Box 2: 25
Hapshire Day House: Agreements and Correspondence 1979 Box 2: 26
Hampshire Day House: Annual Board Picnic 1980 Box 2: 27
Hampshire Day House: Annual Dinner 1979 Box 2: 28
Hampshire Day House: Audit Report 1979 Box 2: 29
Hampshire Day House: Audit Correspondence 1982 Box 2: 30
Hampshire Day House: Balance Sheet and Financial Data 1978-1983 Box 2: 31
Hampshire Day House: Balance Sheet and Financial Statement 1980 Box 2: 32
Hampshire Day House: Board Correspondence 1980 Box 2: 33
Hampshire Day House: Board Minutes 1979 Box 2: 34
Hampshire Day House: Board Minutes 1980 Box 2: 35
Hampshire Day House: Board Financial Data 1979 Box 2: 36
Hampshire Day House: Budget for Fiscal Year 1980 Box 2: 37
Hampshire Day House: Contract with an Individual 1980 Box 2: 38
Hampshire Day House Correspondence 1982 Box 2: 39
Hampshire Day House: Correspondence 1980 Box 2: 40
Hampshire Day House: Correspondence, Client Reviews and House Details 1981 Box 2: 41
Hampshire Day House: Correspondance 1981 Box 2: 42
Hampshire Day House: Correspondence and Contract Manual 1982 Box 2: 43
Hampshire Day House: Financial Development Correspondence 1980 Box 2: 44
Hampshire Day House: Fire and Sdafety Inspection Certificate 1980 Box 2: 45
Hampshire Day House Grant Writing Data and Fundraising Data 1980 Box 2: 46
Hampshire Day House: History 1970-1982 Box 2: 47
Hampshire Day House: Letter of Approval and Agreement 1974-1981 Box 3: 1
Hampshire Day House: Board Data 1982 Box 3: 2
Hampshire Day House: Brochure undated Box 3: 3
Hampshire Day House: Personnel Policies and Procedures 1981 Box 3: 4
Hampshire Day House: Rules and Regulations undated Box 3: 5
Hampshire Day House: Seminar for Community Mental Health Workers- Syllabus 1981 Box 3: 6
Hampshire Day House: Sheet and Statement of Proft and Loss 1979 Box 3: 7
Hampshire Day House and Valley Education Accociation Correspondence 1982 Box 3: 8
Hampshire County Purchasing Department Orders and Correspondence 1980 Box 3: 9
Hampshire Employment and Training Center 1981 Box 3: 10
Hampshire United Way Campaign Pamphlets 1981 Box 3: 11
Hampshire United Way Correspondence 1981 Box 3: 12
Health Funds Development Letter 1981 Box 3: 13
Images, Sheila and Dick Fish Photographs undated Box 3: 14
Images undated Box 3: 15
Insurance Policy: Automotive 1979-1981 Box 3: 16
Insurance Policy: Theft, Fire, and Casualty 1975-1982 Box 3: 17
Insurance: Workmen’s Compensation 1975-1980 Box 3: 18
Inter-Agency Agreement 1979 Box 3: 19
IRS Correspondence 1982 Box 3: 20
IRS Forms 1976-1982 Box 3: 21
Loans, Programs, and Budget Cuts 1981 Box 3: 22
Malparactice Insurance 1980 Box 3: 23
Managment, Grant Workshops and Courses 1981 Box 3: 24
Managment Information Systems 1979 Box 3: 25
Managment Information System, Reporting System 1979 Box 3: 26
Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc. 1980 Box 3: 27
Massachusetts Association for Mental Health Correspondence 1979 Box 3: 28
Massachusetts Association for Mental Health Tax Survey 1978-1981 Box 3: 29
Massachusetts Department of Mental Health “07” Vendor Contract Manual 1983 Box 3: 30
Massachusetts Department of Revenue 1981 Box 3: 31
Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Correspondence 1979 Box 3: 32
Massachusetts Department of Public Charities Report 1979-1981 Box 3: 33
Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance Tax Rate 1980-1981 Box 3: 34
Medical Assistance Program Provider Manual Series, Correspondence 1979-1983 Box 3: 35
Medical Assistance Program Manual Series 1974-1979 Box 3: 36
Medical Report Receipts 1981 Box 3: 37
Merrill Lynch Ready Assets 1979-1980 Box 3: 38
Minutes of Finance Committee 1979 Box 3: 39
Newspaper Clippings 1971-1974 Box 3: 40
Newspaper Clippings 1971-1974 Box 3: 41
Newspaper Clippings 1982-1984 Box 3: 42
Northampton Institution for Savings Deposit Receipts and Bank Statements 1980 Box 3: 43
Northampton Planning Department 1975 Box 3: 44
Petty Cash 1981 Box 3: 45
Partnership Corporation Contract Manual undated Box 3: 46
Quality Assurance Visit to Hampshire Day House 1981 Box 3: 47
Rate Setting Uniform Cost Report, Audit Report 1979-1980 Box 3: 48
Renovations to Hathaway House- Mental Health Area Office 1981 Box 3: 49
Response to State Auditors Report 1982 Box 3: 50
Revenue Retention Spending Plan 1978-1979 Box 4: 1
Service Coordination Manual 1980 Box 4: 2
Smith College Correspondence 1980 Box 4: 3
Social Agencies Correspondence 1980 Box 4: 4
Special Permit and Zoning Information 1979 Box 4: 5
Staff and Board Minutes 1981 Box 4: 6
Statisitical Form for Law Suit 1979 Box 4: 7
Tax Returns 1978-1980 Box 4: 8
Title XX Correspondence and Amendment 1975 Box 4: 9
Town Funding Data 1981 Box 4: 10
Town Funding 1974-1975 Box 4: 11
Town Funding Statistics and Genral Information 1981 Box 4: 12
Uniform Cost Report 1980 Box 4: 13
Valley Health Plan 1979-1981 Box 4: 14
Wage and Salary Study 1980 Box 4: 15
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Processing Information

Processed by Chelsey Talbot, 2013.

Copyright and Use (More informationConnect to publication information)

Cite as: Northampton Area Mental Health Services (MS 27). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.

Subjects

Community mental health servicesMental health facilities

Contributors

Northampton (Mass.) Area Mental Health Services