At NYC NARA, I've found vital records details for psychiatric patients on the New York State Vital Records Microfiche Indexes, which excludes Albany, NYC, Rochester and Yonkers, as follows: Births 1881-1933, Marriages 1881-1958 Deaths 1880-1958 However, finding your ancestor on the index confirms dates and locations, but is no guarantee that you'll obtain the certificates! Several municipalities informed me that the specific institutions hold NYS certificates locally, that were then filed in Albany. Many direct line descendants' requests for death certificates are ignored or refused. OBTAINING VITAL RECORDS (accoding to NYS Health Dept.) "Birth records, death records, and marriage records are considered Vital Records in New York State and generally can be accessed by the public. If you are interested in exploring this option, you can obtain more information on how to obtain these records on the New York State Department of Health's vital Records website at http://www.health.ny.gov/" RESOURCE: https://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/faq/ ========== EXCEPTIONS re BURIALS at INSTITUTIONS "...if you believe a patient was buried in one of our cemeteries. If so, then with appropriate family linkage documentation, including birth and death certificates, we could provide you with information on the individual's burial site. Requests should be sent to John Allen, Consumer Affairs, NYS Office of Mental Health, 44 Holland Avenue, Albany, NY 12229 " [ https://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/faq/ ] ========== A list of existing NYS Office of Mental Health Facilites is here> https://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/aboutomh/omh_facility.html Many names of institutions were altered over time, and were not originally under the NYS umbrella, but are now. The key deterring term to obtaining ancestral, patient "clinical" records, and even older death certificates, appears to be "New York State." The state has withheld access to patient records of persons deceased in 1920s/30s, to even direct line descendants. Their published rationale is that we the public don't have tha ability to understand mental health diagnoses and that by "protecting" even deceased mental patients, prejudice will end. What century are NYS Gov. Andrew Cuomo et al living in? Governments put patients and disabled vets out to NYC streets in the 1970s. Aren't they aware of today's statistics of functional persons who live on presecribed medications? Yet, shouldn't certain employment fields (police, fire, teaching) have access? Ironically, NYS is promulgating the shame label, as Big Brother of clinical files. Here is NYS Commissioner of Mental Health, Michael F. HOGAN 's letter: https://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/commissioner/message.html Here are addresses of some metro area facilities Creedmoor Psychiatric Center 79-25 Winchester Boulevard Queens Village, NY 11427 Phone: (718) 264-4000 Fax: (718) 264-3627 Manhattan Psychiatric Center [located on Wards Island] 600 East 125th Street New York, New York 10035-6098 Phone: (646) 672-6767 Fax: (646) 672-6446 Pilgrim Psychiatric Center 998 Crooked Hill Road West Brentwood, NY 11717–1087 Phone: (631) 761–3500 Fax: (631) 761–2600 Rockland Psychiatric Center 140 Old Orangeburg Road Orangeburg, NY 10962 Phone: (845) 359-1000 Fax: (845) 359-3143 Kingsboro Psychiatric Center 681 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11203 Phone: (718) 221-7700 / 7259 Fax: (718) 221-7206 Barb Metro NYC Researcher @ 3/3/2012