Series II., Subseries A. Community Hospital Industrial Rehabilitation Program (CHIRP) Records, 1962-1979.

Scope and content:

Restricted: Documents containing patient names or information that are less than 125 years old. Some records may require review by an archivist and/or redaction (if it is possible) before they are served. Contains a variety of records most likely created and maintained by director of the Community Hospital Industrial Rehabilitation Program (CHIRP) at Western State Hospital. The program began operating during the 1960s, and along with the Work Therapy Division, were administered by the Work Programs Department beginning in early 1968. CHIRP began with the goal of giving patients a place to work that would be similar to working conditions in their home communities. The program also gave patients the opportunity to learn acceptable work habits, to socialize with other people, and to earn money. Patients were evaluated, interviewed, and assigned suitable jobs based on their level of skill. Most of the work was piece-work, and done for various local and national companies. Some work was conducted off-site at local farms or other places of employment. This subseries contains files on various companies for which CHIRP provided services, correspondence, meeting minutes, and reports compiled by the Work Programs Department. Several files are devoted to orders for birdhouses and feeders, for which the CHIRP program was well-known locally for producing. The CHIRP records are part of accession 41283.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.

Access and use

Contents