HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The Latest on a lawsuit filed against the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (all times local):
3 p.m.
An advocacy group has filed suit against Connecticut’s mental health agency alleging patients are sometimes held in restrictive settings long after they’ve demonstrated an ability to function in the community.
The suit was filed Thursday against the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services by the nonprofit Connecticut Legal Rights Project.
The project’s Executive Director Kathleen Flaherty tells the Hartford Courant that Connecticut is one of the few states that allows for unlimited civil commitments, and patients have remained institutionalized for months or even years after they were declared ready for discharge.
A spokeswoman for the state mental health agency referred questions to the state attorney general’s office, which said in a statement it will respond to the suit “at the appropriate time in court.”
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11:45 a.m.
An advocacy group has filed suit against Connecticut’s mental health agency alleging patients are sometimes held in restrictive settings long after they’ve demonstrated an ability to function in the community.
The suit was filed Thursday by the nonprofit Connecticut Legal Rights Project.
Executive Director Kathleen Flaherty tells the Hartford Courant that Connecticut is one of the few states that allows for unlimited civil commitments, and patients have remained institutionalized for months or even years after they were declared ready for discharge. Many states have a 90-day initial commitment cap.
The lawsuit names the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. State officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The suit aims to push the state to expand its community network where residents have access to medical and mental health care.
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