Louisiana is spending $13 million this budget year to start obeying terms of a federal legal settlement aimed at resolving accusations the state illegally warehouses mentally ill people in nursing homes rather than helping them live in their communities.
The court-monitored deal with the U.S. Justice Department requires Louisiana’s health department to expand home- and community-based services for people with mental illness and screen those in nursing homes to determine if they can be diverted to less-restrictive settings.
The 30-page, five-year settlement drew little public attention when announced in June. But it came after a two-year federal investigation determined Louisiana violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by its over-reliance on nursing homes to house mentally-ill people.
Louisiana has one of the highest percentages of adults with serious mental illnesses living in nursing homes, according to DOJ documents filed in federal court. At least 3,800 people, or 14.5% of all nursing home residents in 2016, were mentally ill, federal officials say.
The Louisiana Department of Health agreed to assess all nursing home residents with mental illness and all new referrals to nursing homes to determine if they could be served in home- and community-based settings. The state must expand those service offerings, such as case management, crisis supports and housing assistance.
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Louisiana starts work to offer more services to mentally ill
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