Page images
PDF
EPUB

photographs an identificational numeral board or other similar apparatus or device may be used as required. Members of the state police, upon arresting a person or persons for any felony or any of the misdemeanors and offenses specified in section five hundred and fifty-two of this code, may transport and bring said persons arrested to their troop headquarters for the purpose of fingerprinting and thumbprinting and photographing and if necessary blood grouping. (Added by L. 1928, ch. 875; amended by L. 1939, ch. 202; amended by L. 1947, ch. 349.)

EXHIBIT No. 27

RIVERSIDE HOSPITAL

ADMISSION PROCEDURES-TREATMENT PROGRAM

Riverside Hospital on North Brothers Island, New York City, is the Nation's only treatment and research center exclusively for drug users under 21 years of age. This hospital-school facility, serving boys and girls, has a capacity of 110 patients. It was opened July 1, 1952, in response to the widely publicized need for such a facility created by the startling increase in narcotics use by teen-agers first noted in this city in the late 1940's.

The Committee on the Use of Narcotics Among Teen Age Youth has prepared this pamphlet as a public service in cooperation with the medical superintendent of Riverside Hospital and the probation departments of Bronx children's court, magistrates' court, and the courts of special and general sessions.

It is hoped that the information will be helpful to parents and other interested adults, including representatives of social agencies, schools and public departments, who are concerned with the treatment and care of adolescent drug users.

Committee on the Use of Narcotics Among Teen Age Youth, Welfare and Health Council of New York City, 44 East 23d Street, New York 10, N. Y., With the Assistance of the Brook Foundation, Inc.

I. ADMISSION PROCEDURES

Adolescent drug users from any part of New York State who have not yet reached their 21st birthday are eligible for admission to Riverside Hospital on North Brothers Island if—

1. They are bona fide residents of the State of New York.

2. Proof is established that the adolescent is a user of narcotic drugs. 3. The patient can show proof (a birth certificate or school record) that he or she has not reached his 21st birthday.

Patients may be referred to Riverside Hospital for admission by parents, courts, voluntary or governmental agencies, police, physicians, school health authorities, clergymen or other interested adults. Preadults wishing to commit themselves voluntarily must be referred and accompanied by one of the abovementioned adults.

JUVENILES (BRONX CHILDREN'S COURT)

All juveniles under 16 suspected of being drug users, regardless of the borough in which they live, should be referred to the Bronx children's court (1109 Carroll Place, Bronx) by a parent, guardian, or other adult as mentioned above. An adolescent drug user petition may be filed under provisions of section 439-a of the public health law. The child is sent directly via ambulance to Riverside Hospital on North Brothers Island for a 5-day period of screening and diagnosis. Children under 14

Hospital authorities do not accept youngsters for treatment at Riverside Hospital because of lack of facilities for segregation. The patient population is predominantly in the 16-20 age group. Therefore younger patients are received at the hospital and immediately transferred to the children's service, psychiatric division of Bellevue Hospital for detoxification and evaluation. Riverside Hospital retains jurisdiction.

Patients are held at Bellevue for approximately 30 days. They then are returned to Riverside Hospital for discharge to the Riverside after-care clinic for outpatient treatment.

If the child does not make a satisfactory adjustment to the treatment program, he is returned to the jurisdiction of the Bronx children's court and a juvenile delinquency petition may be filed by a parent, guardian, or other adult.

Children 14-16

Following his appearance in Bronx children's court, the juvenile is sent directly to Riverside Hospital for 5 days of comprehensive screening and diagnosis. If he is found to be a user of drugs, in need of and suitable for treatment, the hospital submits a report to the court and the child continues in treatment. If found not to be a user of drugs or unsuitable for treatment at the hospital,

he is returned to the jurisdiction of the court where a parent, guardian, or other adult may file a juvenile delinquency petition.

A juvenile known previously to a court in a borough other than the Bronx and suspected of being a drug user may be transferred to Bronx children's court for referral to Riverside Hospital. Any other charge may be adjourned pending his acceptance or rejection by hospital authorities.

YOUTHS 16-21: THE COURTS

Older teen-agers may be referred to the Riverside Hospital screening clinic for admission to Riverside through three of the city's court systems: magistrates' court, special sessions, or county courts including general sessions. Procedures differ widely.

Riverside Hospital screening clinic

Riverside Hospital maintains a screening clinic regularly on Monday, Thursday, and Friday mornings in connection with narcotics term court in the home term building of magistrate's court, 300 Mulberry Street. Additional screening is provided at other times on the basis of need. Admission to Riverside Hospital is determined by the clinic staff. Suspected adolescent drug users are interviewed and examined by a psychiatrist, psychologist, and psychiatric social worker. If found suitable for the program of the hospital, i. e., if they do not have an established pattern of juvenile delinquency and express a willingness to accept treatment, they may be referred the same day to a magistrate in narcotics term court.

In accordance with section 439-a of the public health law the judge then "orders" the patient into the hospital. This law provides for the care, treatment, guidance, and rehabilitation of adolescent drug users, for a period not to exceed 3 years.

Any part of this period may be spent at Riverside Hospital and the remainder in the follow-up clinic (discussed in sec. III). At the end of the 3-year period the individual again may be adjudged an adolescent drug user, and in the same manner, if he is under 21.

MAGISTRATES' COURT (NARCOTICS TERM)

Youths not held on other charges

Any person between the ages of 16 and 21 appearing to be a user of narcotic drugs, including marihuana, should be referred to narcotics term court and the Riverside Hospital Screening Clinic. In order to clarify the procedures of referring adolescents to narcotics term court, the following steps have been set forth:

Any parent, relative, representative of a social agency, or other interested adult may arrange for an appointment at the screening clinic for a suspected young drug user by telephoning the Riverside Hospital Screening Clinic, Walker 5-7030-31. No patient is admitted to the screening clinic who does not have an appointment.

Upon arrival at the clinic, the adult must file an adolescent drug user petition with the court clerk before the youth is examined in the screening clinic. If the youth is accepted by the clinic staff, the court clerk arranges for the petitioner and patient to appear in narcotics term court before a magistrate who "orders" the youth into the hospital. If his adjustment at the hospital is satisfactory, no further legal action is required.

If the youth is rejected by the screening clinic, the judge may dismiss the order and advise the adult to file a wayward minor petition, which confers jurisdiction upon the court to deal with the youth by other available means. If, after admission to the hospital, the youngster is not amenable to treatment, he is returned to the jurisdiction of the court with a report indicating that the patient has not complied with the hospital's treatment regimen. Youths held on other charges

All other magistrates' courts which identify adolescent drug users among defendants arraigned on other charges may refer such cases to narcotics term court for screening and diagnosis. The pending charge may be adjourned or the youngster placed on probation depending upon the outcome of his treatment and rehabilitation.

SPECIAL SESSIONS

Youths arraigned as youthful offenders in the court of special sessions, who also are found to be drug users, may be referred to the screening clinic for admission to Riverside Hospital. When the judge believes a defendant will be acceptable to Riverside Hospital, he may adjourn the case and refer the defendant to the screening clinic. If acceptable to the hospital, the youth then is processed through narcotics term court in the usual manner under provisions of Public Health Law 439-a.

However, if the hospital finds the patient is not amenable to treatment, the authorities submit a report to the court of special sessions and release him to the jurisdiction of that court.

COUNTY COURTS (INCLUDING THE COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS)

Judges sitting in county courts may parole a defendant in the custody of the probation department to the screening clinic for examination and diagnosis. If the screening clinic accepts the youngster for treatment and rehabilitation, he may be processed through narcotics term court in the usual manner, described previously. The original charge may be adjourned without date by county courts pending his adjustment in the hospital. County court judges also may invoke provisions of section 439a by sitting as magistrates, if they elect to do so. If the youngster is placed on probation, the court may make it a condition of probation that he seek admission to the hospital. If he is rejected by the screen ing clinic, the court is notified by the probation department and other plans ar" made for him.

After admission to the hospital, if the boy or girl is not amenable to treatment, the youngster is returned to the county court for further disposition of his case. In the event of parole under the same conditions, a similar procedure is followed. II. RIVERSIDE HOSPITAL

Riverside Hospital is a psychiatric hospital under the administration of the New York City Department of Hospitals. Dr. Rafael R. Gamso is the medical superintendent.

Other members of the staff include psychiatrists, internists, psychologists, dentists, psychiatric social workers, occupational therapists, a rehabilitation counselor, recreation leaders, nurses and selected personnel.

THE TREATMENT PROGRAM

Upon admission to Riverside, patients receive a complete physical examination, including X-ray of the chest, dental X-rays, etc. The patient then is placed in the withdrawal and study ward. If withdrawal symptoms appear, he is treated by the gradual withdrawal method with diminishing doses of a substitute drug (Methadon). All patients are completely withdrawn from narcotics within a few days. Meanwhile study continues, a complete social case history is obtained, psychological tests are given and the patient is seen by a psychiatrist. In 3 to 4 weeks, when the preliminary study is completed, a conference is held to determine the future program of the patient. If it is agreed that he is not suitable for the program at Riverside Hospital, the patient is returned to the appropriate court and discharged from the hospital.

If it is felt that the patient would be benefited by continuing care at the hospital, his treatment program is planned. The program for the patient may consist of individual psychotherapy, group therapy or general rehabilitation.

A special school, public school 619, Bronx, also is óperated by the city board of education. The treatment program is a joint hospital-school program. The school is one of the "600" series. These schools are specially staffed and designed for emotionally disturbed individuals. Although the public schools normally have an upper age limit of 18, this limit has been waived for Riverside Hospital patients. Riverside Hospital admits patients up to 21 years of age, and the school accepts them in its program. All patients attend school following their transfer from the withdrawal and study service. The school provides the usual educational opportunities, including art work, home economics, tailoring shop, metal shop, as well as academic and commercial subjects.

A program of vocational training also has been developed. This includes training in the hospital service fields such as dietary, engineering, housekeeping, storehouse, etc.

The recreational therapy staff conducts an active program weekends and holidays, and between 3 p. m., when school closes, and 9:30 p. m. Monday through Friday.

III. THE RIVERSIDE AFTER-CARE CLINIC

The Riverside Hospital after-care clinic is located at the Welfare Island Dispensary, 535 East 80th Street (East End Avenue). The clinic is staffed four nights a week, Monday through Thursday, with psychiatric social workers, a vocational guidance specialist, a psychologist, two psychiatrists and voluntary social work aides.

Follow-up care is compulsory for a period up to 3 years under provisions of the public health law 439-a, for those patients the hospital staff considers can benefit from that care. Those found unsuitable for further treatment in the after-care clinic are returned to the jurisdiction of the courts, for whatever action the court deems necessary. Recommendations may be submitted by hospital authorities covering discharged patients.

Before a patient is discharged thorough planning is necessary. While the patient still is in the hospital, the rehabilitation counselor evaluates his job potential and participates in staff conferences concerning plans for his discharge. The home situation is investigated, parents or relatives are prepared for the patient's discharge, and an attempt is made to find him a job and help him get started in some desirable community activity groups.

Patients discharged to the after-care program are seen by a psychiatrist or psychiatric social worker as often as necessary. The parents also are seen by the clinic staff, and group sessions are held for mothers of the patients.

To aid boys make new friends and to ease their readjustment to the community, the clinic staff also has started a group work and recreation program on Wednesday evenings at Manhattanville Neighborhood Center. A similar project also is planned for girls under treatment in the after-care clinic.

Progress reports are furnished to the courts, probation officers or referring agencies every 3 months. The young former drug users continue in the followup program as long as the Riverside Hospital medical superintendent believes necessary within the 3 year maximum period provided by the public health law.

EXHIBIT No. 28

[Reprinted from The Psychiatric Quarterly Supplement, vol. 28, pp. 199-208, pt. 2, 1954] A SPECIFIC APPROACH TO THE VOCATIONAL NEEDS OF ADOLESCENT USERS OF NARCOTICS AT RIVERSIDE HOSPITAL

The in-hospital vocational training program

By I. B. Gould, L. Smith, R. N., W. Barker, M. D., and R. R. Gamso, M. D. New York 54, N. Y.

HISTORY OF THE HOSPITAL

Since the end of World War II the prevalence of drug addiction among adolescents and young adults ranging in age from 15 to 25 has been increasing at an alarming rate. To cope with this situation various private and public agencies have banded together to pool what little common knowledge there is and work toward the establishment of a concrete approach to the problem. Their efforts resulted in the passage of section 439a of the New York State public health law which required the State commissioner of health to designate a facility for "the care, treatment, guidance and rehabilitation" of adolescent users of narcotics who had not reached their 21st birthdays. On July 1, 1952. the department of hospitals of the city of New York opened Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island as such a facility. In addition to the hospital, proper provisions were made for the establishment of a fully accredited school of the New York City Board of Education which would contribute to the educational and vocational needs of the patients.

« PreviousContinue »