Disability Rights Maine and other groups are asking a federal court to reject proposed changes to a settlement agreement over the state's handling of behavioral health treatment for children with disabilities.
The settlement, reached last year, resolved a Department of Justice lawsuit alleging the state was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by "unnecessarily segregating" children with behavioral health disabilities, by forcing them into psychiatric and correctional institutions instead of helping them access services in their communities.
Now, Disability Rights Maine, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, and others are objecting to a proposed modifications that they say would eliminate an independent reviewer tasked with monitoring the state's compliance and limit outreach to families and children, among other things.
The groups submitted their claims Wednesday in an amicus brief in U.S. District Court for Maine.
