PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A Pierce County judge has ruled in favor of a lawsuit against the state Department of Human Services and ordered the agency to immediately evaluate patients with behavioral health conditions.
The lawsuit also orders the department to provide adequate community notification when patients are released from treatment.
“Today’s ruling is a sign that the legal system will assess the behavioral health needs of people who cannot stand trial because they are unable to defend themselves and provide them with meaningful treatment opportunities. “It affirms a fundamental obligation. Of course, it does not resolve the real capacity issues in the behavioral health system that result from long-term underfunding and workforce shortages,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. Stated. “Today’s ruling gives counties across Washington, in collaboration with the state and other jurisdictions, more clarity to move forward on funding and strategies to meet the needs of the people we all serve. Masu.”
Under Judge Michael Schwartz’s order issued Friday morning, the Department of Human Services must evaluate all new converted patients. These patients were found to be incompetent to stand trial and had their criminal charges dismissed.
Initially, prosecutors in 22 Washington counties sued over the agency’s public policy decision to stop evaluating and treating mentally ill criminal defendants whose charges were dropped because they did not understand the charges. woke up.
After the lawsuit was filed, the Pierce County Superior Court granted the motion for a preliminary injunction. Six additional counties also joined the lawsuit.
County representatives said it is a violation to deny access to people whose charges have been dropped. State Law, would place an intolerable strain on county resources and endanger public safety. When charges against a defendant are dropped and the state does not provide mental health care at a psychiatric facility, such as Western State Hospital in Pierce County, the only recourse is often to return the former defendant to the community.
As KING 5 investigators report in our series, Mentally Ill People Waiting in Jail, the wait time for mentally ill defendants to receive treatment to understand their charges has increased over the past two years. The highest has been reached. The defendants are currently waiting in prison for about seven months before being admitted to a bed at Western State Hospital. State law and federal court orders require a seven-day waiting period.
