§ 2. Statement of legislative findings and purposes. It is hereby\nfound and declared that the provision of new and improved state\nfacilities relating to the care, maintenance and treatment of the\nmentally disabled must be accelerated if the state is to meet its\nresponsibilities in the face of an increasing state population, a\ngrowing awareness that mental disability can be treated effectively, and\nnew research advances in treatment methods. An expanded construction\nprogram is essential to relieve overcrowding in the state hospitals for\nthe mentally ill, to provide treatment and care for the increasing\npopulation of people with developmental disabilities in state schools,\nand to permit the establishment of special treatment programs for\nmentally ill and emotionally disturbed children and for the mentally ill\nblind and the mentally ill deaf. Existing state facilities require\nsubstantial modernization and structural change to accommodate new\nconcepts of treatment for the mentally disabled and special units for\nthe treatment of alcoholism and narcotics addiction. Larger and better\nequipped research facilities must be installed in order to insure that\nstate treatment units are in the forefront of applying and developing\nadvanced therapeutic methods. At the same time, improved training\nfacilities and quarters are needed to attract and retain the\nbest-qualified staff personnel.\n To assure that the required facilities are completed and ready for use\nas promptly as possible, the legislature hereby finds and declares that\nthere should be created a corporate governmental agency, constituting a\npublic benefit corporation, to be known as the "Facilities Development\nCorporation", which could receive and administer monies for the\nconstruction and improvement of mental hygiene facilities and provide\nsuch facilities in accordance with the foreseeable needs for the care,\nmaintenance and treatment of the mentally disabled. The legislature\nfurther finds and declares that while responsibility for the\nprofessional care, maintenance and treatment of the mentally disabled at\nall mental facilities should continue in the department of mental\nhygiene, exclusive possession, jurisdiction, control and supervision of\nthe physical facilities used therefor should be vested in the\ncorporation in order to facilitate the exercise of its powers.\n It is further found and declared that the provision of new and\nimproved community mental health and developmental disabilities\nfacilities must be accelerated, in order to provide comprehensive care\nand treatment of the mentally ill and developmentally disabled. Such\ncommunity mental health and developmental disabilities facilities should\nbe located close to the people they serve, in order to speed\nrehabilitation and restoration, by involving families and community\nresources to the extent practicable. Such an accelerated construction\nprogram will also help relieve overcrowding in state facilities for the\nmentally ill and developmentally disabled and will afford treatment and\ncare for the increasing number of people with developmental\ndisabilities. Such a program will increase the number of local\nfacilities for out-patient care and short-term in-patient care,\nincluding after care, diagnostic and rehabilitative services, training\nand research. While the responsibility for the professional care,\nmaintenance and treatment of the mentally ill and developmentally\ndisabled at all such community mental health and developmental\ndisabilities facilities should continue in the local governments,\nsubject to the provisions of article forty-one of title E of the mental\nhygiene law and the regulations of the commissioners of the offices of\nthe department having jurisdiction thereof, the legislature further\nfinds and declares that the Facilities Development Corporation should be\nempowered to aid cities and counties, at their request, to provide new\nand improved community mental h
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