Newsroom - Advocacy Center

9/7/11 - 12:53 PM by Stephanie Patrick

Advocacy Center’s Executive Director Wants to Talk with YOU!

Photo of Rep. Scott Simon Do you have questions about the work of the Advocacy Center, our priorities for 2012, or thoughts to share? Lois Simpson, AC's Executive Director, will be answering your questions and listening to your ideas on Wednesday, Sept. 14th from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm and Monday, Sept. 19th from 3:00 pm -4:00 pm.

7/5/11 - 12:04 PM by Stephanie Patrick

DHH changes EDA Waiver rules

DHH implements changes to the rules regarding the Elderly and Disabled Adult Waiver. Read more about how these changes may impact you.

6/14/11 - 07:35 PM by Stephanie Patrick

Bullying

“Nerd!” “LOSER!!!” Marcus heard these words yelled at him every day at school, right before his books were knocked from his hands onto the floor, or before he was slammed into the set of lockers in his school’s hallway.

Court Order Ensures Treatment for Prisoners with Disabilities

In a victory for Louisianans with disabilities, today a federal court in New Orleans entered a consent decree requiring adequate treatment and care long denied to detainees with mental illness housed in the state's prisons.

3/30/11 - 10:17 AM by Stephanie Patrick

Nursing Homes Versus Home and Community Based Care: What’s Wrong With This Picture?

Nursing homes have been draining Louisiana’s resources while people with disabilities wait inordinate amounts of time for services in the community.

1/24/11 - 09:31 PM by Stephanie Patrick

PRISONER WITH MENTAL ILLNESS SUES JAIL FOR GROSSLY INADEQUATE TREATMENT

Roger Mason is a 52-year-old man with Schizophrenia. On August 18, 2009, Mr. Mason was arrested and placed in Tangipahoa Parish Prison. Despite clear evidence of Mr. Mason’s mental illness, the prison staff provided grossly inadequate care to him for 5 months.

8/19/10 - 12:14 PM by Stephanie Patrick

Annual Report Published

The 2008-2009 Annual Report is now available.

Federal Court Orders Louisiana to Provide Mental Health Care for Pretrial Detainees

In a victory for those unable to stand trial due to mental illness, a federal court ruled yesterday that all detainees who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial by Louisiana courts and ordered to receive restorative treatment must be transferred to the Feliciana Forensic Facility within 21 days. The court also ordered that a status report on the transfer of the detainees be submitted within 30 days updating the court on the implementation of its order.

7/29/10 - 07:05 PM by Stephanie Patrick

Prisoners with Mental Illness Wait Months for Court-Ordered Treatment

In April, the Advocacy Center, along with the ACLU of Louisiana and the New York law firm of Kirkland and Ellis, L.L.P., sued the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, its Secretary, and two administrators over long-standing conditions for prisoners with mental illness. The law requires that pretrial detainees who are not competent to stand trial because of mental illness must be given restorative mental health treatment or be released from custody. These people have not been convicted of any crime, and they must be found competent before they can proceed to trial. Some inmates are ordered to be treated in jail or on an outpatient basis – but many are found by the courts to need inpatient treatment in order to be restored to competency.

7/29/10 - 09:50 AM by Stephanie Patrick

Update on AC Work in Child Residential Facilities

AC is pursuing issues related to the education of children in child residential facilities

News Archive