Educationally-Related Mental Health Services Restored After Lawsuit Filed by Civil Rights Coalition
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A federal court in Los Angeles today approved a stipulated injunction which will temporarily restore educationally-related mental health services to California and Los Angeles Countystudents who require the services to stay in school. In California, these life-saving mental health services are commonly known as "AB 3632" services.
A coalition – consisting of Public Counsel, Disability Rights California, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and Mental Health Advocacy Services, Inc. – brought a statewide class action on October 21, 2010, against the Governor and various state and local defendants for unlawfully discontinuing funding for such services – which include crisis counseling, case and medication management, and residential placement for students with severe mental health issues.
On Thursday, October 28, 2010, the coalition filed a request for a temporary restraining order and motion for preliminary injunction in federal court, asking the judge to order the California Department of Education "to ensure that students with disabilities who require educationally-related mental health services continue to receive these without interruption or delay." The motion also sought injunctive relief against the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, among others, to compel them to continue providing these critical services to students.
Before the motion could be heard, an agreement was reached whereby the California Department of Education would release$76 million of federal funds for the short-term continuation of these services, which are expected to benefit more than 20,000