Washington State Settles Lawsuit Challenging Restrictive State Hospital Policy On Grounds Privileges & Outings

On August 5, 2016, the Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) agreed to improve how the state hospitals develop treatment plans and determine which residents are ready to leave the hospital grounds for family visits and other outings or be released to live in the community.  A series of restrictive policies were enacted in 2010 after a 2009 incident in which a resident on an outing to the Spokane County Fair walked away. In 2014, a group of six state hospital residents adjudicated as “not guilty by reason of insanity” (NGRI) and Disability Rights Washington filed a lawsuit . . .