BILL MINOR: Children’s mental health care drives federal lawsuit
JACKSON – Mississippi is evidently skating on thin ice of violating federal laws under its mental health system for children that cycles thousands of children with behavioral or emotional disorders through institutions rather than providing federally-mandated community-based services that keep mentally ill children near their families.
These are some of the allegations raised recently in a federal lawsuit filed against the state by the Southern Poverty Law center’s Mississippi Youth Justice Project. It seeks to require the state to invest more in community-based services for mentally ill children instead of spending funds to isolate them from their families in various institutions.
In some institutions, the suit alleges, youngsters 13 to 15 years old are kept in solitary confinement and in others, when parents visit, they can only see youngsters behind glass panels. No hugs allowed.
Bill Minor
nems360.com
Magnolia Tribune
