Children and Adolescents
Children with serious psychiatric disabilities are one of the Center's highest priorities. In recent years, it has developed this program as one of its central advocacy units. It created a children's advocacy initiative that led to a landmark decision in its children's mental health case, Rosie D. v. Patrick, as well as a national collaboration with other P&A programs as part of its Juvenile Justice Project.
Rosie D. is a class action brought on behalf of over 30,000 children with Serious Emotional Disturbance in Massachusetts. The complaint alleged that the Commonwealth was violating the rights of Medicaid-eligible children to appropriate home-based services that would allow children with disabilities to remain in their homes and home communities. After extensive litigation, the federal court ruled that Massachusetts must establish a new children's mental health system that offered all eligible children wraparound mental health services. For information concerning Rosie D., go to www.rosied.org.
Documents and pleadings which may be helpful to attorneys litigating or considering the litigation of disability law related cases are available by following the links below.
CPR joins with Texas advocates to seek DOJ review of Texas Youth Commission facilities August 2010.
This monograph by CPR staff explains the complex web of rules regarding the restraint and seclusion of children and adolescents in various hospital and residential settings in Massachusetts: Restraint of Children in Massachusetts -- A monograph
An overview of issues in the administration of psychiatric medications to children and adolescents: Psychopharmacology for children and adolescents 3/1/2001
The documents contained on this page and within this web site do not constitute legal advice. Anyone engaged in legal action should consult with an attorney. Attorneys should make their own independent judgments. Local laws vary and the law may have changed since these documents were written. Litigants should fully research any claims or defenses before making them.