Tear Down the Walls!

In this speech, given at the first annual New York State Mental Health Service Conference in Syracuse, New York, Gorman advocated further development of community mental health systems, but also scolded the mental health professions for clinging to "outmoded concepts concerning the time and place for psychiatric treatment" and for resisting innovative approaches which could further "tear down the walls" between the community and the mental patient. The presentation received lots of press attention in New York state, and Gorman had many requests for copies, and letters of congratulation and support in response.