May 14, 2024
The Justice Department has concluded its investigation into Nebraska’s behavioral health system and found that the State unnecessarily institutionalizes people with serious mental illness (SMI) in assisted living facilities and day program facilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. With the right services, people with SMI can live in their own homes and get jobs where they work alongside people without disabilities, doing the same work for the same pay. But Nebraska restricts access to critical community-based services that its citizens with SMI need to live and work in the community. For too many Nebraskans with SMI, the only options are institutions and unemployment. The Department’s letter asks the State to take corrective actions, including expanding its existing community-based services and offering supported employment services to people with SMI who want to work.
To learn more, please read our press release and letter of findings. For more information on the ADA, please visit ADA.gov or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 833-610-1264).