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Brief Descriptions of Connecticut State Agencies

Department of Developmental Services

Agency Web page | Statutory Authority | Agency History |
Published histories/articles | State Library Collections | List of Commissioners

Agency Web page

Statutory Authority :
CGS, chap. 319b-319c.

Agency History :

1959, a new Office of Mental Retardation in the State Health Department takes over administrative responsibilities of the Mansfield Training School and Hospital and Southbury Training School. The following Regional Centers were established under the Office of Mental Retardation :

Bridgeport Regional Center

10/1/1965

Central Connecticut Regional Center (Meriden)

1967

Danbury Regional Center

1967

John N. Dempsey Regional Center (Putnam)

11/9/1964

Lower Fairfield County Regional Center

1965

Hartford Regional Center

1965

New Haven Regional Center

1961

North Central Regional Center (Bloomfield)

1967

Northwest Regional Center (Torrington)

1965

Seaside Regional Center (Waterford)

1961

Waterbury Regional Center

1967

1975, a new Dept. of Mental Retardation is established to administer the Training Schools, all other regional centers, and state operated community and residential facilities for the diagnosis, care and training of retarded individuals., per P.A. 75-638.
2007, October 1, name change to Dept. of Developmental Services, per P.A. 07-73.

 

Published Histories/Articles :
Who We Are, Where We Are, Where We Are Going. (Office of Mental Retardation). [Hartford, Conn.] : Mental Retardation Planning Project, 1967.
            [CSL Call Number ConnDoc H342men who]

Agency Documents in the State Library Collections :
Check the State Library catalog, CONSULS, under these author headings for publications by the agency available in the State Library :

Connecticut. Office of Mental Retardation.
Connecticut. Dept. of Mental Retardation.
Also, check under the names of each of the facilities.

Annual Reports are located in :

1971-1974 [CSL Call Number ConnDoc H342men req]
1975-1983, 1998 [CSL Call Number ConnDoc M75 rep] also [CSL Call Number ConnDoc M75 plan]
Digest of Administrative Reports to the Governor [CSL Call Number ConnDoc F40 d], and 2002-, the online version

State Archives Record Group : RG 170

List of Commissioners :

Name

Years of Service

Gareth D. Thorne

1975-1984

Brian R. Lensink

1985-1989

Toni Richardson

1990-1994

Linda Goldfarb (Acting)

1995

Peter H. O’Meara

1996-Present

Prepared by the Government Information and Reference Services Unit, page revised 12/2008.