On behalf of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, I write to share that the Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement to resolve its lawsuit alleging that Maine violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. by unnecessarily segregating children with behavioral health disabilities in psychiatric hospitals, residential facilities and a state-operated juvenile detention facility. 

“This agreement reflects the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities can live at home surrounded by the love and support of their families rather than isolated away in facilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We know that too many children with behavioral health disabilities end up in juvenile justice settings or in out-of-home placements, often in different states far from their families, disrupting their lives in ways that can cause permanent harm. Under this agreement, more children will have access to community-based services and in-home behavioral health services so that they can grow up surrounded by family and loved ones.”

Read the full release below.

Kind Regards, 

-Kevin

Kevin A. Jenkins
Public Engagement and Outreach Advisor