Lawsuit Claims State is Denying Mental Health Services to Medicaid-Eligible Children

‘The state’s current approach is not only a serious violation of federal law, it is very poor public policy,’ Steven Brown, Executive Director of the ACLU of Rhode Island

The lawsuit says the state is in violation of the Medicaid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.
The lawsuit says the state is in violation of the Medicaid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.
cmh2315fl / Flickr
Share
The lawsuit says the state is in violation of the Medicaid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.
The lawsuit says the state is in violation of the Medicaid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.
cmh2315fl / Flickr
Lawsuit Claims State is Denying Mental Health Services to Medicaid-Eligible Children
Copy

A group of advocacy organizations filed a class action lawsuit yesterday against the state of Rhode Island for denying Medicaid-eligible children access to mental health care. The 68-page federal lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island and advocacy groups Disability Rights Rhode Island and New York-based Children’s Rights, says this puts children at higher risk of being unnecessarily institutionalized.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, was brought on behalf of Medicaid-eligible children under 21 years old who require intensive home and community-based services. The complaint says the state is in violation of the Medicaid Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

This story was reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.

Request comes after pay for representing indigent clients increases
Less than a year before Rhode Island’s Democratic primary, McKee and campaign manager Rob Silverstein have parted ways, leaving the governor to regroup amid low approval ratings and potential challenges from Helena Foulkes, Joe Shekarchi, and Peter Neronha
As Hurricane Erin pushes north, Rhode Island beaches are bracing for dangerous rip currents and rough surf. Officials warn swimmers to stay cautious, with conditions expected to worsen midweek along the Ocean State’s southern coast
From her Pawtucket mill studio to an upcoming solo show at Boston’s Gallery NAGA, multi-media artist Kirstin Lamb reflects on her journey, inspirations, and the intricate dot-based paintings that blend Impressionism, cross-stitch, and digital design
The strike that began May 15 forced the Providence psychiatric hospital to close roughly half its beds