US Justice Department says Kentucky may be violating federal law for lack of mental health services

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice says Kentucky is likely violating federal law for failing to provide community-based services to adults in Louisville with serious mental illness. The report released Tuesday says the state “relies unnecessarily on segregated psychiatric hospitals to serve adults with serious mental illness …” The DOJ says it would work with the state to remedy the report’s findings. But if a resolution cannot be reached, the government said it could sue Kentucky to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The report said more than 1,000 people had multiple admissions to psychiatric hospitals in a year.