DOJ looking into mental health programs


AP News: : m.apnews.com/ap/db_8545/contentdetail.htm?contentg…BYxq3

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A Mississippi mental health official says the Department of Justice Department is looking into whether the state is providing appropriate care to mentally ill.

Region 8 Executive Director Dave Van tells The Clarion-Ledger (bit.ly/pyofl7 ) that he has talked to Justice Department officials who don’t think the state has made a sufficient effort to move into community-based services, Van says they believe Mississippi is "institutionally heavy."

In February, federal officials concluded Virginia violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by needlessly institutionalizing those with developmental disabilities. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell proposed $30 million more in spending for community-based treatment.

In 2010, the Justice Department reached a settlement requiring the state of Georgia to come up with $77 million more for treatment for fiscal 2012 alone.

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