Justice Department Reaches Extension Agreement to Improve Georgia’s Developmental Disability and Mental Health System

The Justice Department has announced that it has entered into an extension agreement with the state of Georgia to improve the quality and availability of services for people with developmental disabilities living in the community and to provide supported housing to individuals with significant mental illness who need it. The extension agreement builds upon a 2010 settlement agreement resolving a lawsuit brought by the department under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision. The case involves Georgia’s provision of community services for individuals with mental illness and developmental disabilities. The department found in 2009 that Georgia was forcing people with disabilities into state hospitals instead of providing community-based services, in violation of the ADA’s integration requirements. In January, the department alleged that Georgia was not in compliance with the 2010 agreement, both regarding helping people move from institutions into their communities and regarding quality and oversight of community-based services. In light of the agreement and the significant commitments Georgia has made in it, the department has agreed to withdraw its motion to enforce that earlier agreement.

Source/more: U.S. Department of Justice