United States v. Delaware

On July 6, 2011, we settled our investigation in into whether persons with mental illness in Delaware were being served in the most integrated settings appropriate to their needs and of unlawful conditions at the Delaware Psychiatric Center. The goals of the Agreement are to ensure that people who are unnecessarily institutionalized can receive the treatment they need in the community; to ensure that individuals in health crisis have sufficient community resources available to avoid unnecessarily being hospitalized or jailed; and to ensure that people with mental illness in the community are not forced to enter institutions because of the lack of stable housing and intensive treatment options. Our Agreement was entered as an order of the federal court. An independent monitor will assess the State's progress in creating a comprehensive community system. Services that will be created under the Agreement include a crisis hotline, mobile crisis teams, crisis centers, short-term crisis stabilization units, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and case management teams, at least 650 housing vouchers or subsidies, supported employment services for 1100 people, rehabilitation services including substance abuse and educational services to 1,100 people, and family and peer support services to 1,000 people.