ties, and that others who cannot will be able to lead a more satisfactory
life in institutions.

I could go on at great length to recite in detail the broad and com-
prehensive program of mental health that your State is carrying on.
But in the interest of time, I will only make mention of such things
as the foster-care program of our hospitals, the pre-admission and
follow-up care services they offer, and so on.

I would like, however, to emphasize an important development in
the care and treatment of alcoholics. As you perhaps already know,
we have placed the responsibility for the coordination of all services
for alcoholics in the Department of Mental Hygiene. An important
aspect of this development is that the State is recognizing that alco-
holism is not, as it has been considered for centuries in the past, a
character defect, but instead is a disease and must be treated as such.
Each of our four general mental hospitals has a special alcoholic unit.
A number of local mental health clinics will treat alcoholics. Just
recently Baltimore City opened its first full-time clinic on alcoholism.

The problem of emotionally disturbed children is of grave concern
to all of us. Two units have been set up at Rosewood for the care
of mentally ill children, and Spring Grove, Springfield and Crowns-
ville hospitals are developing specialized programs for children and
adolescents.

On the general subject of mental health in Maryland, I would like
to point out that as your Governor I have supported the federal legis-
lation recommended by President Kennedy for aid to the states in
the construction and initial staffing of community psychiatric centers
and centers for the retarded. I am proud to say that I am on record
in support of this measure, which has passed both the House and the
Senate and is now in a conference committee.

Although we have made progress in the field, I have not lost sight
of the fact that mental illness remains one of Maryland's major health
problems. I hope that in the brief time I have had to talk to you
I have been able to give you a fair picture of what we are doing today
for our retarded and mentally ill. It is the strong interest shown by
people like yourselves that makes possible the advances we all hope
for. Your support provides the leadership to develop effective treat-
ment and training programs. Your understanding and acceptance of
patients who are under treatment, or who have returned from treat-
ment, make it possible for them to return to normal living. For what
a former patient wants more than anything else is to be accepted once

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