New Lawsuit Against Alabama’s DHR by Local Advocacy Group
According to a lawsuit filed back in May of 2021, a loophole in DHR’s foster care system has a record of allowing a disproportionate number of foster children with mental disabilities to remain in psychiatric treatment facilities so long, they often “age out of the system.” This means mentally unstable kids as young as 19 suffer higher instances of homelessness, incarceration, and/or admittance to adult psychiatric facilities. In addition, according to statistics on the mental and behavioral effects of growing up without a permanent home and family, foster children are more likely to exhibit mental and behavioral instability resembling that of PTSD and stress-induced schizophrenia in the first place. For this reason, the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program and the Southern Poverty Law Center have filed this suit against the DHR because this is a violation of Federal Law.
They’re represented by none other than Attorney Tommy James, famous for his representation of multiple open cases of child abuse victims in Alabama, who says these draconian practices are well-known to local and state government authorities who should have made this a priority, rather than waiting for a lawsuit to force their hand. But, unfortunately, such is the case in this current lawsuit, whereby these children with mental and behavioral problems have been neglected, beaten, and forced to live in the squalor conditions of these facilities to get the $315 per child offered by the state in exchange for their “care.”
This is a perfect example of why Robert and Kathleen Raskin continue to follow such cases, which are systemic and ongoing, and often unreported on national news. Follow us for more insights into this ongoing problem and learn what you can do to fight this corruption where you live.
For more information on this lawsuit, here’s a link to a local news report: https://www.wtvy.com/2021/05/24/advocacy-group-suing-alabama-dhr-alleges-children-are-being-stuck-in-mental-health-facilities/