SHANNON McCAFFREY, Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA – Federal officials said Friday they are taking action to protect people in seven Georgia psychiatric hospitals from harm to their lives, health and safety.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed a motion late Thursday seeking the appointment of a monitor who will set binding targets and timetables to reduce the number of residents in the hospitals. The motion also seeks an expansion of community-based outpatient care for the state’s psychiatric patients.
Care at Georgia’s mental health facilities has been the target of federal scrutiny for several years now.
Georgia and the Justice Department last year entered an agreement over care at the state-run hospitals. Georgia agreed to improve suicide risk assessment and find ways to prevent patient assaults on other patients within a year.