The Justice Department has initiated an investigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to determine if Michigan is unnecessarily institutionalizing adults with serious mental illness in state psychiatric hospitals. The focus of the inquiry is on whether Michigan provides adequate community-based mental health services that allow individuals to transition from hospitals and maintain stability within their communities.
Before announcing this move, the department informed both the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the State Attorney General’s Office about the investigation's commencement.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people’s right to receive mental health services in the community, rather than remaining in hospitals when they are ready to go home,” stated Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This investigation will assess whether Michigan is honoring the ADA’s promise that people with disabilities be served in the most integrated setting appropriate. The Civil Rights Division will continue to advocate for states to provide people with disabilities the services they need to avoid unnecessary institutionalization.”
U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan emphasized their commitment: “Our office is committed to investing the resources necessary to investigate these claims because we will never tire of ensuring that every citizen is afforded the full protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
U.S. Attorney Mark A. Totton for the Western District of Michigan added, “We open this investigation as part of our mission to protect civil rights and to ensure our neighbors with mental health disabilities can succeed and thrive in their communities.”
The Justice Department clarified that no conclusions have been reached regarding this matter at present. Individuals possessing relevant information are encouraged to contact them via email at Community.Michigan@usdoj.gov, by phone at 888-392-5415, or through their Civil Rights Portal at civilrights.justice.gov/.
For more details on ADA enforcement by the Civil Rights Division, visit www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-disabilities and www.justice.gov/crt/disability-rights-section.