Mississippi – In a significant turn of events, a federal appeals court has overturned a previous ruling by a lower court, which found Mississippi’s mental health care system to be overly reliant on institutionalization at the expense of community-based care for individuals with mental health conditions.
This decision, issued by three judges serving on the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, asserts that the federal government, which had brought a lawsuit against Mississippi, failed to substantiate claims of discrimination against individuals with mental health conditions in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Additionally, the appeals court judges argued that a remedial order, issued by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves with the aim of reforming Mississippi’s mental health system, “vastly exceeds the scope of claimed liability.”
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office staunchly advocated for the appeals court to overturn the district judge’s ruling. Fitch, a Republican, welcomed the appeals court’s decision, asserting that federal agencies had wielded the threat of lawsuits to pressure Mississippi and other states into adopting policies and budget priorities aligned with their preferences.
Fitch remarked, “This opinion is a good reminder to Washington that the people have the right to speak through their state elected leaders to set their own priorities.”
The legal battle dates back to 2011 when the federal government issued a letter asserting that Mississippi had not done enough to offer mental health services outside of mental hospitals. The U.S. Justice Department subsequently filed a lawsuit against Mississippi in 2016.
In 2019, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves issued a ruling, declaring that Mississippi had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act due to inadequate resources in local communities to provide treatment for individuals with mental illnesses. The evidence presented during the case revealed a troubling pattern of people being admitted to state hospitals for extended periods, only to return without experiencing long-term improvement.
Further efforts to address these concerns led Reeves to approve funding in 2021 for an independent monitor tasked with collecting and analyzing data concerning the effectiveness of Mississippi’s mental health system in preventing unnecessary hospitalizations.
Mississippi state attorneys have argued that the state has implemented programs designed to enable individuals to access treatment within their communities and reduce hospitalizations. These initiatives include mobile crisis teams, supportive housing, and peer support services. However, the U.S. Justice Department has maintained that these services should be expanded, with robust measurements to ensure their effectiveness.
