The North Olympic Library System (NOLS) is displaying the National Library of Medicine’s traveling exhibit, “Care and Custody: Past Responses to Mental Health,” at Peninsula College at Forks, 481 S. Forks Ave. The exhibit is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Thursday, through April 17.

A free public reception will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m. The awardwinning documentary “Bedlam” will be screened, followed by a panel discussion with Brian King, Sheriff of Clallam County; Larry Jackson Sr., Elder and Community Member; Rachelle Nicholas, Health Services Manager, Clallam Bay Corrections Center; Jolene Kron, Executive Director of Salish Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization; and others.

About the Exhibit:

Curated by public historian and educator Anne E. Parsons, PhD (University of North Carolina at Greensboro), the “Care and Custody” exhibit explores the historical treatment of individuals with mental health conditions in the United States. The exhibit examines the evolving balance between custodial care and inclusive treatment, shedding light on policies shaped by physicians, advocates, families, and government agencies.

The “Care and Custody” exhibit also includes an educational component, featuring a university module and a digital gallery of selected historical works from the National Library of Medicine’s collections. These resources are available online for further exploration. The National Library of Medicine produced this exhibition and its companion website.

Documentary Synopsis:

Through intimate stories of patients, families and medical providers, “Bedlam” is a featurelength documentary that immerses viewers in the national crisis surrounding care of the seriously mentally ill. Filmed over five years, it brings us inside one of America’s busiest psychiatric emergency rooms, into jails where psychiatric patients are warehoused, and to the homes – and homeless encampments – of mentally ill members of our communities, where silence and shame often compound personal suffering.

The story is told in part by director Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, MD, whose own life journey has been profoundly impacted by a seriously mentally ill family member. “Bedlam” premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was broadcast on PBS’s Independent Lens. Find more information at bedlamfilm.com.

For more information about the exhibit and related events, visit NOLS.org, call 360-374-6402, or email discover@nols.org.

President John F. Kennedy signing legislation that allocated funds for new community mental health centers, photograph by Abbie Rowe, 1963. Courtesy John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

The documentary “Bedlam” will be screened at a special reception at Peninsula College at Forks on April 9.