Alameda County, California Sued Over Failure To Provide Adequate Community-Based Mental Health Services

On July 30, 2020, Disability Rights California (DRC) sued Alameda County, California for failing to ensure that people with people with mental health disorders are provided with needed services. The plaintiffs allege that the county and Alameda Health System unnecessarily and illegally segregate people with mental health disabilities in psychiatric institutions, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). DRC alleges that the county institutionalizes people with mental health disorders at a rate more than 3.5 times higher than the statewide average rate. Some county residents have been institutionalized more than 10 times over the past three years . . .