Georgia is still failing to meet key parts of its agreement with the U.S. Justice Department on caring for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, according to an independent reviewer\u2019s report released this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reviewer, Elizabeth Jones, cited \u201cpreventable deaths occurring in the state system, often the product of confirmed neglect.\u2019\u2019 Many deaths of people with developmental disabilities were classified as \u2018\u2018unexpected,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, on the issue of Georgia\u2019s obligation to provide supported housing for people with mental illness, Jones said the state\u2019s performance \u201cappears to be slipping, rather than moving forward as expected.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jones\u2019 oversight role arose from a 2010 settlement agreement between the state and the Justice Department. In that landmark pact, Georgia agreed to provide new community services for people with mental illness and those with developmental or intellectual disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new report by Jones, dated Monday, is more sharply worded than her past reviews of the state\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In response, Georgia\u2019s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities acknowledged flaws in some programs but defended the state\u2019s progress in revamping the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe believe we have put in place the fundamental building blocks at the department and in our provider network to provide adequate services and oversight and respond to people with complex needs,\u2019\u2019 DBHDD Commissioner Judy Fitzgerald said Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will work to improve our ability to meet their needs in spite of challenging workforce shortages,\u2019\u2019 Fitzgerald said, citing a need for more nurses and certified behavioral specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 2010 pact, the state agreed to end all admissions of people with developmental disabilities to state psychiatric hospitals. It also promised that patients with developmental disabilities already in those hospitals would be moved to more appropriate settings in their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia also agreed to establish community services and housing for about 9,000 people with mental illness, and to create community support and crisis intervention teams to help people with developmental disabilities and mental illness avoid hospitalization. An AJC series in 2007 about deaths of patients in state hospitals helped lead to the settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n