Moral Treatment: A Forgotten Success

The history of society’s treatment of people with mental disorders reveals, time after time, that backsliding almost always follows progress in our understanding and response to people with mental differences. Periods of enlightenment have been followed by periods of darkness, with long stretches of neglect in between. On the heels of brutality and some of the worst abuses of people with mental illness, the reformation of the Moral Treatment movement in the 19^th century was responsible for some of the greatest outcomes in the lives of people living with psychiatric disorders during that time. The ideas and assumptions of the Moral Treatment movement remain highly positive and useful solidifying its significance in the history of psychiatry, yet few have ever heard about it. Please join the Keystone Institute for an exploration of this powerful movement and the potential of its lessons to influence the field of human service.

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About the History, Heroes, and Pioneers in the Field Series

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, however, if faced with courage, we need not live it again.” – Maya Angelou

It is a longstanding value of Keystone Human Services that in order to truly understand someone, we must understand the person’s history; not only the story of one’s life, but also the experiences of one’s people over time. Yet more and more society is being confronted with gaping holes in our knowledge of the histories of certain groups of people which have been forgotten, suppressed, and even erased. In 2022 the Keystone Institute will be offering educational opportunities, open to all employees, designed to introduce our workforce to histories, heroes, and pioneers in the fields of our services. We will explore historical events, life conditions, and major figures who have served as change agents within the fields of disability, and mental difference. In our remembrance of many who have come before us, we will together affirm our collective commitment to advance the human spirit of those we serve.

Date: April 14 2022 @ 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT