The series consists of central office files of the Directors of Mental Health Services and the Deputy Ministers of the Mental Health Branch created between 1936 and 1972.

This is a set of central office files of the Directors of Mental Health Services (MHS) and the Deputy Ministers of the Mental Health Branch. Before 1959 the Director of Mental Health Services (under a variety of titles), reported to the Deputy Provincial Secretary. Between 1959 and 1968 the positions of Director and Deputy Minister were held by the same person. In 1968 the positions were separated, with Dr. H.W. Bridge as the Director of Mental Health Services, located in Vancouver, and Dr. Tucker as the Deputy Minister, located in Victoria. In September 1971 the position of Director of Mental Health Services was terminated. The statutory obligations of the Director were assumed by the Deputy Minister.

Between 1872 and 1959 MHS was part of the Department of the Provincial Secretary. In 1959 MHS joined the [Public] Health Branch and the Hospital Insurance Service in the new Department of Health Services and Hospital Insurance.

The records include a few files of Dr. Arthur L. Crease, who retired as Director of Mental Hygiene and Psychiatry in 1950 after 16 years at the helm of the Mental Health Services. The bulk of the files were created during the tenures of Dr. A.M. Gee (Director, 1951 58) and Dr. A.E. Davidson (Director and Deputy Minister, 1958 67). Dr. Fred G. "Tommy" Tucker was the Deputy Minister between 1967 and 1975.

Also included are files of the Deputy Director (Dr. Tucker), the Nursing consultant to the Branch (Miss Lonergan), and the Coordinator of Adult Psychiatric Services (Dr. H.W. Bridge).

The time period which these records represent includes many major developments in terms of treatment, insulin shock therapy (1937), electric shock therapy (1942), lobotomy (1945), penicillin and many other drugs. It also includes many new developments in care delivery, new Homes for the Aged in the 1940s and the Crease Clinic of Psychological Medicine in 1949, and the development of community mental health care centres in the 1960s.

The series consists of the records of Mr. Matheson, Business Manager (later Comptroller) of the Mental Hospitals. It includes agendas and minutes of the assessment committee from 1947 to 1965, outlining assets of the patients and their immediate family to determine their ability to pay to stay in mental health facilities. The series also includes records relating to branch staff conferences (1960-1968), meetings and records of the core committee for the planning of mental health facilities (1964-1965). Additional file subjects include visit to the California Neuropsychiatric Institute, Mental Health Centre Conference, Comptroller's monthly reports, and BC Government Employees Associate strike committee. Records related to Woodlands and Essondale.

This series consists of Mental Health Services operational records. Records include agendas and minutes, correspondence, personnel files, and reports for a variety of mental health facilities across the province. The records were created between 1946 and 2010 and document the changing nature of mental health service delivery in the province. The series includes the admissions and discharge register for Hollywood Hospital for the years 1968 to 1973, and also consists of plans and policy documents for the transition from a institutional model of care to one centered on community-based boarding and group homes.

The series was originally arranged into 16 subseries in the 1990s. Further accruals were arranged to fit the existing model with one additional subseries added to accommodate financial records. Several of the existing subseries were merged in 2016 to simplify and streamline the arrangement. Subseries that were merged include “Mental Health Centres : monthly reports” and “Victoria Mental Health Centre,” which became “Mental Health Centres.” The “Glendale Lodge/Hospital” and “Skeenaview Hospital” subseries were merged to become the “Other facilities and services” subseries. The scope of the original “Meetings” subseries was expanded to include the records of a variety of committees, and the “Reports” subseries was expanded to include policy and planning documents, including those relating directly to patient care. The series is now arranged into 13 subseries : Boarding home and group home programmes; comptroller records; correspondence; facilities : Riverview Hospital; facilities : other mental health facilities and services; finance, grants, and budget; meetings and committees; mental health centres; Mental Health Services branch; miscellaneous; personnel; reports, programs, and planning; and youth mental health.

The Boarding Homes subseries (accessions 88-0056 and 93-4010) documents the shift towards de-institutionalization and the provision of mental health services within the community. The subseries consists of monthly reports and planning and policy documents.

The Comptroller subseries (88-0056) consists of monthly reports written between 1970 and 1972.

The Correspondence subseries (88-0056, 93-4010 and 95-4372) includes correspondence outward, with attachments, from the Mental Health Branch. It also includes material addressed to, or coming from the Health Minister and circulated through the Branch for action or information. Most correspondence on the Branch side is from the Deputy Minister of Mental Health, the Assistant Deputy Minister of Mental Health, and a Branch Administrative officer.

The Riverview Hospital subseries (88-0056, 93-4010, 95-4372, and 96-7394) consists of correspondence, monthly reports, planning documents and statistical files. The records date from the early 1970s until just prior to the hospital’s 2012 closure. Records include the statistical schedule of the 1971 census (no nominal or personal information is included), monthly reports, correspondence, and a set of redevelopment planning files from the 1990s and 2000s.

The Other Facilities and Services subseries (88-0056, 93-4010, 95-4372, and 95-9744) consists of minutes, correspondence, and monthly reports pertaining to Glendale Lodge, Skeenaview Hospital, Valleyview Hospital, Dellview Hospital and Skeleem Lodge, in addition to records documenting home support, outreach and mental health care in smaller communities. The series also consists of the 1968-1973 admissions and discharges register of Hollywood Hospital.

The Finance, Grants and Budget subseries (93-4010) consists of correspondence and other records regarding community grants, lottery fund grants, and general finances for mental health facilities.

The Meetings and Committees subseries (88-0056, 94-4010, 95-4372, and 95-9744) consists of meeting agendas and minutes for a variety of committees. The subseries also consists of records pertaining to various related organizations, such as the Alcoholic Foundation of BC and the BC Medical Association.

The Mental Health Centres subseries (88-0056 and 93-4010) consists of records pertaining to a variety of small facilities and sub-offices located across the province. The records are arranged in alphabetical order by location. The Skeena Mental Health Centre files contain additional reports such as those describing meetings, physical plant proposals, etc.

The Mental Health Services branch subseries (88-0056 and 93-4010) consists of records relating directly to the branch’s operation. The series includes records relating to staff meetings and the branch’s establishment.

The Miscellaneous subseries (88-0056 and 93-4010) consists of copies of legislation and research conducted by staff at the Mental Health Services branch. Records also include proposed amendments and improvements to the mental health diagnostic code.

The Personnel subseries (88-0056 and 93-4010) consists of staff personnel files, files for post-graduate training, and files documenting the appointment and resignation of physicians. Personnel files from accession 93-4010 are arranged in alphabetical files organized by the first letter of the surname.

The Reports, Programs and Planning subseries (88-0056, 93-4010, 95-4372, 95-9744, and 96-8412) consists of monthly reports from other government departments in addition to research reports used by the branch for policy development. Records dating to the 2000s include policy development, government responses to crises such as crystal meth and other drug addictions, and best practices for treatment.

The Youth Mental Health subseries (88-0056, 93-4010, 95-4372 and 95-9744) consists of monthly reports, statistics, and correspondence regarding programs for youth and the BC Youth Development Centre “The Maples.”

The series is covered by ORCS 36100-20. However, a small number of records are also covered by ORCS 36200-20, 36300-40, and 36400-30, as well as ARCS 280-30 and 350-25. Due to the interrelated nature of the records and the existing arrangement structure, it was decided to keep all records within the same series.

This series consists of a variety of operational records created by various provincial mental health institutions from 1882 to 2005. These records were created by mental health institutions including: New Westminster Provincial Asylum (later Public Hospital for the Insane or Provincial Hospital for the Insane), Essondale (later Riverview), Home for the Aged Coquitlam (later Valleyview), Home for the Aged Terrace (later Skeenaview), Home for the Aged Vernon (later Dellview), Crease Clinic, Colony Farm, Colquitz, Woodlands School and other medical facilities.

Together these records provide details of the hospital's operations from their creation to closure. Internal records document the mandate and goals of the hospitals and how they changed as the government and society's attitudes regarding mental health care shifted over time. External documents such as articles written by Riverview staff demonstrate how the hospital chose to publicize information about its treatment practices and research.

There are many different kinds of records in this series intermingled together. Many of the reports and studies were held by the Riverview Hospital Medical Library. These may be identified by library call numbers or stamps. The records are grouped into subseries. Note that there may be some overlap and repetition between them due to the physical arrangement of the records. The following subseries are included:

1. Publications. Includes copies of published articles in a variety of academic psychology and medical journals written by hospital staff from 1955-1979.

2. Reports, programs, and procedures. This includes many different types of records which address topics such as: treatment methods; patient care; rehabilitation; patient services; the creation, evaluation and implementation of various programs; facility management; patient rights; general policies for medical staff; staff bylaws; staff training and orientation; child guidance (including original papers and speeches by Dr. Crease on multiple subjects); geriatric care; staffing; and the administrative review of the hospital’s organization. The bulk of the records include policies, procedures, manuals, unpublished studies, statistics, strategic plans, training materials, forms, pamphlets, and surveys and questionnaires from staff, patients and patient’s relatives.

3. Conference and Committee Records. Includes records of the Provincial Mental Health Services Headquarters monthly or bimonthly conferences held by branch executives. Records include agendas, meeting minutes, budgets, copies of reports, statistics and other records discussed at the conference. Riverview Hospital medical advisory committee records include minutes and some reports or other records discussed in meetings. There are also some additional records included related to legislation and the Civil Defense Committee.

4. Miscellaneous records. Includes records related to facilities, finances, correspondence and early hospital records. This includes some of the earliest records related to the creation, construction and operations of the hospitals and Colony Farm, such as financial records recording the purchase of supplies, maintenance of facilities or grounds and staff perquisites. There are correspondence or subject files on a variety of topics, including: Mental Health Services headquarters; Provincial Secretary Collection Office; the operation and construction of the Boy’s Industrial School; and Indian Affairs regarding Indigenous patients. Additional records include agreements with the Canadian Pacific Railway for use of hospital land; records marking hospital events and anniversaries; provincial Mental Health Services business management monthly reports; and other miscellaneous records.

5. Riverview replacement records. Includes plans, reports and other records related to the changing makeup of mental health services on the Riverview lands. Beginning in the 1970s, the role of the hospitals began to be assessed and plans were developed to downsize, consolidate, replace or close various facilities. These records document that process. Contains various reports, planning documents and records of consultation with stakeholders.

6. Annual reports. Covers a wide range of years. There are reports for the Asylum for the Insane, New Westminster from 1882-1885; BC Mental Health Hospitals Annual Reports (under several names) from 1901-1972, plus some later years; and federal government Annual Report of Mental Institutions for the Dominion Bureau of Statistics from 1932-1960.

This series consists of correspondence inward and outward, and interdepartmental memos of the Provincial Secretary, pertaining to provincial mental health care institutions, mothers' pensions, child welfare, and adoption laws from 1918-1926.

This series consists of a variety of records created by various provincial mental health institutions from 1872 to 2008. Records relate to the administration and operation of Riverview Hospital and related mental health facilities at the Essondale site in Coquitlam, as well as other facilities across the province. These mental health institutions include: Victoria Asylum, New Westminster Provincial Asylum (later Public Hospital for the Insane or Provincial Hospital for the Insane), Home for the Aged Coquitlam (later Valleyview), Home for the Aged Terrace (later Skeenaview), Home for the Aged Vernon (later Dellview), Crease Clinic, Colony Farm, Colquitz, Woodlands School, Tranquille and other medical facilities.

The names and administrative structure of these institutions changed over time. Mental health functions were originally part of the Provincial Secretary’s mandate; they were transferred to Mental Health Services when it was created in 1950.

These government records were collected by the Riverview Historical Society and include a wide variety of subject matter and media. This includes subjects such as: early development of the Essondale lands and Colony Farm; the construction and expansion of the facility; admissions, transfers, and discharges of patients; administration of patient care; administration of therapy programs; patient and staff recreation; staff and nurse training; operation of the audiovisual department; library services; research into new medical and therapeutic practices; research by staff regarding mental health practices at Riverview and further afield; community involvement; volunteer activity; policy development; the redevelopment of the Riverview lands; general administration; and, administration of other services at the site such as postal, food, laundry, banking, transportation and safety services.

The collection has been arranged into the following series based on record types:

GR-3924 - record books
GR-3925 - operational records
GR-3926 - newsletters
GR-3927 - photographs and other graphic material
GR-3928 - films and videos

Classified as 20000-20 in Operational Records Classification System (ORCS) schedule 144007.

This series consists of the records of the Royal Commission on Mental Hygiene, 1925-128. The records include correspondence, material gathered in the research process, reports to the commission, clippings, and reports of the commission. The series is divided into the following subseries:

A. Commission Correspondence
B. Minutes Of Commission Meetings:
C. Special Subject Files And Working Papers
D. Reports
E. Miscellany: Articles, Published Reports, Etc.